Maoh, A Day Late
by Kyogre
Summary: Complete. Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun. How will his path change, with the man who should have been his strongest supporter already gone? And what was the reason behind his late arrival?
1. I-1 Separated and searching

~.~.~

Title: A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: An incident three years ago changed the course of fate. Yuri and Murata are forced to make their own way to the other world, but what greets them is a scene of devastation.

~.~.~

**Part I, Chapter 1**

_Separated and searching_

~.~.~

_Stepping out into the hallway, Jose Rodriguez sighed and cracked his neck. "What a mess," he muttered. "No one saw this coming, I'm sure of it."_

_Lost in his own thoughts, he almost ran into a short figure standing outside the hospital room. Looking down at the boy, Jose stared in surprise._

_"Oh, Ken," he said slowly, "I didn't expect to see you here. Are you... hurt?"_

_"...That's not it," Ken Murata replied after a moment, a familiar smile covering his concern and unease. "Shibuya's my classmate. He got hurt because of me. He was trying to help me with some bullies, and they tossed him into the river..." He looked pensive before turning his gaze to Jose. "I'm really surprised to see you. I didn't know you had come to Japan. What a coincidence..."_

_They both knew it wasn't._

_"Well, your friend should be alright," Jose said. "It looks like there was no permanent damage. Were you the one who pulled him out and called the ambulance? You saved his life."_

_"No, it wasn't me. I couldn't anything," Murata muttered, too quietly for Rodriguez to hear._

_Instead, he smiled and waved as Jose excused himself. Turning to the hospital room the doctor had been inside, he hesitated. Through the partially open doorway, he could see Yuri's form, sitting in the hospital bed. His usually upbeat and energetic classmate was oddly still and pensive. Murata felt guilt pool in his stomach._

_This wasn't supposed to happen, he thought. And... he was sure he had felt a familiar magic power, when he scrambled desperately into the river after Shibuya._

_'We're only in middle school. It's too early, but... did he go to the other side?' Murata wondered. 'Or...'_

_There was only one way to find out. Steeling himself, Murata forced a bright smile on his face and energetically shoved the hospital room door open._

_"Hey, Shibuya!" he greeted, stepping inside. "Glad to see you're okay! I was really worried there for a moment! The ambulance guys said you hit your head and swallowed half the river. But it looks like you're on the mend." Yuri had turned to face him, but it took a moment for the other boy to assemble his expression into even a vague semblance of a smile. He was clearly unsettled, which in turn made Murata's unease grow._

_"...Did you see something?" Murata wondered, before forcing a more upbeat tone. "You know, the pearly gates, an out of body experience, things like that! So how about it?"_

_But Yuri didn't so much as laugh uncomfortably. "...Kind of," he muttered, looking down at his clasped hands. Slowly, Murata moved closer to the bed and perched on the edge, listening without comment. "I thought I saw another world. I had a dream... about who I was, before I was born..."_

~.~.~

"Yes, Mom. A part-time job. … It's fine! But we'll be busy, so I might not answer. … Murata's with me! … I'm not going looking for a girl-! Oh, forget it. … Bye, Mom. Love you."

Smiling, Yuri ended the call and snapped his cell phone shut. Shoving the phone into one of the pockets of his bag, he tucked the entire thing between two rocks, well above the high water mark. Hopefully, he would be able to come back for his things, but a cell phone wouldn't do any good where they were going anyway.

"So how Mama?" Murata asked, smirking.

"You're so familiar with my mom," Yuri muttered. "Maybe you should've been the one to call her."

Of course, he hadn't called Miko just to make sure she wouldn't look for them if they went missing for a while. In truth, there was no telling when or if Yuri would be able to talk to his mother again. He wouldn't have missed this call for anything.

"Are you sure about this?" Murata asked, his unusually serious eyes meeting Yuri's. "Last chance to back out. I've prepared everything, but there's no guarantee what'll happen. You don't have to do this, you know."

Yuri huffed. "I'm not backing out," he insisted. "I've already made up my mind. We're going to the Demon Kingdom. I'm going to become Demon King. So quit being so wishy-washy."

"Right," Murata murmured, smiling. As he turned to face the sea, the rising sun shone off his glasses, hiding his expression. "Then let's get started. With the special magic in this place, we should be able to reach the other world even on our own."

"Doesn't look like much," Yuri commented, glancing aorund. The mostly barren rocky cove seemed unremarkable, just a half-moon of jutting rocks, like two arms reaching into the sea. Only a lone torii gate marked the unique nature of the site, rising out of the water directly in front of them.

At their feet, waves crashed against the rocky shore, swirling angrily and hinting at the hidden depth of the pool.

Murata shrugged. "Legends say that this is a gateway to other worlds. That's not exactly right, but it's not wrong either. If we both combine our magic, we'll be able to leave this world..."

"Don't think I didn't notice how you haven't said anything about coming out on the other side," Yuri grumbled, still staring down into the dark water.

"Just think of it as a leap of faith, both literal and figurative!" Murata suggested brightly.

Yuri sighed, then nodded firmly. "Let's do this," he declared, holding out his hand to Murata.

Clasping hands, the two seemed to glow in the light of the rising sun, still except for the soft fluttering of their hair. Then, together, they stepped forward and dropped into the sea.

~.~.~

Yuri reached the surface first, gasping as he thrust his head out of the dark water. He pulled Murata up next to him, the other boy somehow managing to keep his glasses firmly in place.

Bobbing slowly among the waves, the two glanced around before sharing a thoughtful look. Whether they had made it to the other side or not, they certainly weren't where they had been before. The rocky shore was gone, and thick mist coiled above the sea around them. Dark shapes loomed in the distance, suggesting land, but no details could be made out.

"Did we make it?" Yuri wondered. "It feels... different."

It was darker, and colder, in this new place. The faint light of dawn had barely begun to filter through the fog. Both of them shivered.

Murata shook his head. "It feels like we're late," he said quietly.

"Come on," Yuri muttered, pulling Murata along toward what he hoped was land.

The wharf had risen out of the mist, the building behind it slowly taking shaping, when they heard a bell begin to toll somewhere further inland. It rang only once, then twice before fading away.

"Why are they ringing it like that?" Yuri wondered. "Did something-"

Suddenly, the sea heaved around them. The waters drew back for a moment as if at low tide, and Yuri felt a growing sense of panic, before the sea surged back, rising into a tidal wave that recklessly dragged both boys forward as it gained speed and rose higher.

It - and they - crashed onto the shore, leaving the boys coughing and groaning, but fortunately only bruised otherwise.

"What was that?" Yuri wondered, still sputtering.

"An earthquake. It made the bell ring and the sea surge," Murata replied, trying to clean off his glasses. His expression was troubled.

"At least it was only a small one," Yuri said, ruffling water out of his hair.

Next to him, Murata had straightened and was looking around slowly, his expression hidden. The mist had receded enough to make out the buildings along the wharf - or rather, what remained of them. Roofs were caved in, walls partially collapsed. Rubble littered the streets. There was no one in sight.

"That's because it was just an aftershock," Murata muttered.

~.~.~

The mist began to dissipate, letting through the faint light of the morning sun. More of the devastation was revealed as Yuri and Murata made their way through the deserted, ruined city.

"It feels like one of those Tokyo earthquake movies," Yuri said quietly, rubbing his arms in an attempt to warm up. "There's no one here at all. I guess they must have evacuated."

Murata glanced at him in surprise, as if coming out of deep thought. "We should get ready just in case. I don't think this is the Demon Kingdom, so your double-black will really stand out, and not in a good way."

"Double-black?" Yuri repeated.

"Black hair and black eyes," Murata said absently. "I guess you wouldn't know about it... It's a sign of Demon Tribe blood and very rare in this world. You're a prize animal, Shibuya!" That last was added with entirely too much cheer.

"You're the same!" Yuri protested. His eyes narrowed, eyeing Murata's artificial gold coloring. "So that's why you bleached your hair? You could have warned me."

"Don't be like that. Look, I even brought you a nice hat," Murata wheedled, pulling a wet, rumpled baseball cap out of his shorts' large side pocket. He waved it in front of Yuri as if presenting a new toy to a pet.

Yuri growled under his breath and turned his nose away. "I don't need it," he declared. "I can just use an illusion to change my hair and eye color."

"Oh? Did you get that far?" Murata said, annoyingly disbelieving. "I thought you'd just started learning magic. That's really good, Shibuya!"

"It's really basic stuff," Yuri mumbled. "Even a beginner can do it easily." Holding up one hand in a seal gesture, he concentrated for a moment. The last of the water in his hair drained away, leaving a far lighter brown color behind. As he blinked, his eyes took on a matching hue.

Murata nodded in approval. "Okay, just hold it like that. Man, Earth magic can be really convenient."

"Yeah, yeah," Yuri muttered. "But what did you mean about this not being the Demon Kingdom? I thought that's where we were going."

"Well, we weren't exactly doing precision work," Murata replied, shrugging as it wasn't a big deal at all. "It wouldn't be much of a surprise if we missed a bit. Though, it almost felt like I made a connection after all..."

"So where are we?" Yuri wondered.

"No clue," Murata said blithely, then grinned in a way that made Yuri shudder reflexively. "Let's ask!"

Without further warning, he turned suddenly toward a shadowed figure that had been creeping toward them from among the destroyed buildings.

"Excuse me!" Murata called out, waving. "Ma'am! Could you tell us where we are?"

The figure froze for a moment as Murata ran up to them, Yuri following more slowly. It appeared to be an old woman, a dirty brown cloak swathed around her hunched body. Long strands of hair curled from within the hood, hiding most of her face.

"We just kind of washed up on the shore," Murata continued, still smiling disarmingly.

"This is Caloria," the woman replied in a hoarse voice. "Or rather, what's left of it."

"Caloria?" Murata repeated, frowning. 'But Caloria isn't on any fault lines. They hadn't experienced a single earthquake in thousands of years.' The uneasiness he had felt was only growing.

"We need to move away from the sea, or you'll get swept away again," the old woman said quietly, already moving further into the ruined city.

"Are aftershocks really common?" Yuri wondered as he and Murata followed her. He glanced around at the deserted streets, many of them completely blocked by rubble or by ravines that had suddenly opened across the city as teh ground was pulled apart. In some places, entire buildings had been swallowed up. There wasn't a single other person in sight. "The earthquake must have really been something else."

"It wasn't an earthquake," the woman said, her voice growing deeper and harsher. Murata's eyes narrowed. "It was one of the four things that must never be touched..."

Murata flinched, a surprisingly strong reaction that immediately drew Yuri's attention. "A Forbidden Box?" he muttered to himself. "I can't believe it. Something like that, and we weren't called here?"

He had suspected that something had gone wrong, that they had fallen behind schedule somehow, but it had been just a feeling. Maybe he had misunderstood that man's intentions or maybe the situation had changed somehow. But if things had gone this badly, they should have both been called to the other world. Instead, he and Yuri had been forced to make their own way there, which had only really had a small chance of working to start with.

'What's going on? What happened to you?' Murata wondered.

"What? What does that mean?" Yuri demanded, glancing between his friend and the old woman.

"Soldiers from Small Cimaron came. They brought a Box with them. When they opened it, the earth was torn apart, and this land became cursed. Everyone who could fled further inland. There's no one left here. No one dares to remain in this cursed place," the woman explained, making Murata's frown deepen. Yuri shot his friend a questioning look, but Murata only shook his head shortly.

Yuri felt a shudder go down his spine, a moment before the bell began to toll again in the distance. The ground shuddered, knocking all three off balance, though the tremor lasted only for a few seconds.

Murata's eyes met the woman's, shockingly bright blue in the shadow of her hood. "It wasn't an earthquake, and these aren't aftershocks," he muttered, the pieces lining up in his mind. "Don't tell me... the Box is still open..."

~.~.~

"I'm back," Wolfram called out, making his way across the opulent room and onto the large balcony. His mother, Cecilie von Spitzweg, stood at the railing, looking out across the Covenant Castle grounds and the town beyond. Wolfram ignored the view, instead studying Celi's visage. His eyes narrowed at the clear signs of strain in her expression.

'Damn him, that idiot...' Wolfram thought bitterly, before forcing a more neutral expression. Noticing her son's presence, Celi covered her feelings with a smile, though it still looked brittle around the edges.

"Welcome back, Wolfie," Celi said. "How was your trip to the Tomb of the Great One? Did you learn anything?"

Wolfram frowned, even such an irritated expression appearing handsome and distinguished on his features. "Lady Ulrike thought she felt something in Caloria," he said.

"Is it the Box? Is it becoming active again?" Celi wondered, worry clear in her deep green eyes. She, like most in the Demon Kingdom, could scarcely believe that one of the Forbidden Boxes had been opened in the first place. They had been charged with keeping the world safe from that terrible power, and they had failed. Now, every effort was being made to correct that oversight, to disturbingly little effect.

"She wasn't sure. Lady Ulrike thought she sensed... something else. But the Box's aura is clouding her vision," Wolfram explained. "I sent the information to Lord Von Crist and the rest of our contingent in Caloria."

Celi sighed, studying the angry features of her youngest son. "Are you still mad you couldn't go with them?" she asked. "Don't be like that, Wolfie. You know you get terribly seasick. And since your poor mother has been confined to this dreary old castle while all the handsome men are gone, the least you can do is keep her company."

"Mother! Take this a little more seriously!" Wolfram protested. "You're the former Demon Queen, and since your much-vaunted successor never showed up, you're still the leader of our people! You can't afford to be so... so carefree."

Celi smiled faintly. "Don't give up already, Wolfie," she said. "The Great One said the king of double-black will come, so he will. Who knows, maybe this crisis will draw him to our world."

Wolfram snorted, shaking his head. "Or we could just end up with another baseless rumor. I'm not going to put my faith in some unknown quantity from another world."

No, he wouldn't trust that easily. No one could be depended on. Not even...

'He was never family,' Wolfram reminded himself harshly. 'We don't need him. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if he's gone.'

~.~.~

((Things take a while to get going, so please be patient, since I didn't realize until I was deep in planning that the explanations don't come until quite late.))

I'm also playing fast and loose with some details, mostly because I don't want things to get depressing without Yuri there to fix them or I can't fit them in properly.

Finally, romance is not my strong point. This'll be pretty gen all around. Main characters are Yuri, Murata, Wolfram and Conrad.


	2. I-2 First step

~.~.~

Title: A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Maxine of Small Cimaron claims responsibility for what happened to Caloria and receives Justice, in Yuri's first, impressive act as Demon King.

~.~.~

**Part I, Chapter 2**

_First step_

~.~.~

"The refugee camp is down this road. They should be able to help you get back where you belong," the old woman said, pointing down the left forks in the large road leading out of the city. Yuri stared at the large, strong hand that appeared out of her cloak. In turn, unnoticed by him, the woman's attention lingered on their strange clothes.

"What about you?" Yuri asked, shaking away his surprise.

"Oh, I'll be fine, kiddo," the woman said, chuckling. "I've been looking for survivors. Though there probably isn't anyone left to find..."

"Thanks for all your help," Murata said with a smile. He waved as the woman turned back to head into the ruined city. Yuri glanced at the fork in the road, but neither made any move down the left path.

"I don't really get it, but we have to close this box, right?" Yuri declared, cutting off whatever Murata had planned to say. He nodded to himself, as if the reasoning was clear.

His friend could only shake his head. "That's not really..." Murata trailed off, sighing as he met Yuri's determined gaze.

Of course, Yuri had already made up his mind. There would be no talking Yuri out of this, Murata knew. Yuri was never the type to back down once he decided that something had to be done. Murata was all too familiar with that particular stubborn tendency. And judging by the effects, how comparatively limited they were, he could only assume that the wrong Key had been used. They might have a chance. A very slim chance.

Not that Yuri cared. And what was Murata supposed to do, knock him out and haul him? ...Well, that wouldn't work for long. He sighed again.

"Made up your mind just like that, did you? That's so like you, Shibuya," he muttered instead.

"Hey, the way I see it, we ended up here for a reason. And I can't just leave some cursed weapon of mass destruction lying around, causing problems for so many people," Yuri said, nodding to himself. To him, it was that simple.

'Simpleton,' Murata thought. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "The bell rings on the right, and always just before we feel the tremors. So the epicenter must be in that direction," Murata reasoned. "That should be enough. We'll be able to tell when we get close. It's not exactly something you can miss."

Neither noticed a cloaked figure following them surreptitiously as they turned down the right-hand path.

~.~.~

Murata had been right. It wasn't hard to find the place where the Box had been opened. They could both feel it as they got closer - a slowly pulsing miasma that permeated the air and the ground. The tremors became more and more common until they blurred into a constant vibration beneath their feet, which occasionally crescendo'd into a full quake.

Even without the feeling of spiritual taint, the location was clear. As they traveled onward, the terrain became more and more ravaged. The ground had been shattered and overturned, the road all but erased from existence.

Soon, the land gave way completely.

"Is this it? It must have fallen into the sea," Yuri commented, staring down into the waves, which almost appeared to be boiling, letting off clouds of mist - or maybe steam.

"Look," Murata pointed along the curving edge of the new crater. Through the fog, they could just make out the figure of a soldier - apparently standing guard.

Reaching out, Murata tried to pull Yuri back, out of sight, only to miss as Yuri moved forward, waving. "Hello! Hey, over here!" he called out.

"Shibuya, wait! We don't even know what country they're from!" Murata protested, but it was already too late. The soldier had spotted them and was sounding the alarm.

Heedless of the commotion, Yuri asked, frowning, "Why does that matter? We can ask them for help."

"Don't just assume they're going to help!" Murata said. His shoulders slumped in defeat as the sentry was joined by several more soldiers and all of them began to advance on the two boys, spears raised menacingly. "I don't suppose you could use an illusion to hide us," he wondered without much hope.

"No way," Yuri said dismissively. "I'm just a beginner, remember? It doesn't work when someone is looking straight at you already. They'll be able to break out of any illusion right away."

"Of course," Murata muttered under his breath.

As the soldiers neared, both boys raised their hands in a disarming gesture, Yuri adding a friendly smile. "Um, hi. We were just looking around the area. I promise, we're not here to cause any trouble."

Judging by their expressions, the soldier didn't believe them.

~.~.~

At least the soldiers hadn't just run them through, Murata thought with a depressed sort of optimism. Next to him, Yuri was less sanguine about the situation.

"Ow! We're going, you don't have to shove!" he protested as one of the soldiers prodded him sharply with the butt of his spear. "Where are you taking us anyway?"

"Keep quiet and move!" the soldier barked in reply, hitting Yuri again. "Lord Maxine will decide what to do with you!"

Before Yuri could say something to anger the soldiers even more, Murata quickly stepped in. "Listen, gentlemen, this is just a big misunderstanding. We're refugees. We were trying to go to the camp, but we took the wrong turn. That's all. We didn't mean to trespass!"

He didn't have much hope that just talking would work, and as expected, the soldiers ignored him. As Yuri opened his mouth to protest again, Murata elbowed him sharply. Finally taking the hint, Yuri fell silent. Or perhaps he had noticed they were approaching what must have been their destination - a hastily thrown together camp on the edge of the crater, with several winches and lines leading into the roiling waters. More soldiers quickly moved to join their group as they approached.

"Who are they?" one of the soldiers asked another, Murata quickly losing track among the identical uniforms and concealing helmets.

"Dunno. We picked them up skulking around nearby," a soldier answered.

"They don't look like Calorians."

"Do you think they're from Big Cimaron?"

"Are they from that ship that was sighted?"

The murmur of the soldiers' voices rose as everyone began to talk at once. Though some attention had been taken off the two boys, they were still surrounded, with no chance of making a break for it. Glancing at Yuri, Murata suspected it would have been pointless to even consider the option.

"What is going on here?!" a new voice cut through the hubbub. Instantly, every soldier fell silent and snapped to attention. They parted quickly, clearing the way for a tall man with long brown hair, who strode toward the boys with an expression of fury on his face. Staring at his ponytail, Yuri made an odd sort of choking sound.

"What is this?" the man snapped. "Who are these louts? Spies? Infiltrators?"

"We're not-!" Yuri tried to protest, only to be cut off.

"Sir! We found them at the crater, Lord Maxine!" one of the soldiers sounded off, back ramrod straight.

Maxine's eyes narrowed in a harsh glare. "So they are spies," he decided. "Where are you from, scum? Big Cimaron? Svelera, come to gloat? Or that detestable Demon Kingdom?"

Yuri's reflexive reaction at the last name had more to do with it being the only country he recognized, but it still looked like guilt to Maxine's paranoid eyes.

"I knew it! I knew it was only a matter of time before you Demon Tribesmen crawled out once that ship showed up. Well, tie them up. We'll get some answers out of them. The Demon Tribe are supposed to be the ones who know the most about the Boxes, aren't they?" Maxine sneered.

"We're not spies!" Yuri protested, his earlier plan for diplomacy overridden by righteous indignation. "And you've got no right to take us prisoner!"

"I was sent to this territory by His Majesty, the king of Small Cimaron himself!" Maxine shot back, sneering. "And you are clearly attempting to gain information about our use of the Forbidden Box!"

"So you were the ones who caused all this devastation?" Yuri said, his expression darkening. "Why did you do that? What were you thinking?"

"That's right. We opened the Forbidden Box, the Ends of the Earth, here," Maxine declared. His expression showed not a single shred of shame regarding the death and destruction his actions had caused. If anything, he appeared triumphant, though there was a subtle strain in his expression.

"Caloria's fake lord tried to go behind our backs and deal with Big Cimaron, and her people tried to refuse to fight for us. So we used this opportunity to test the Key we had acquired." Maxine's lips twisted into a smirk as he made a show of looking around the ruined landscape - the torn up earth, the gaping crater and roiling sea. "The results were certainly impressive. It'll be a long time before this territory dares to rise up again."

Yuri could only stare as Maxine laughed, a tinge of madness in his voice. He couldn't find words to express the feelings welling up inside him. Anger - fury, even - struggled with a deep-seated horror. This was wrong, on a level Yuri could barely grasp. This man hadn't just led to the deaths of innumerable people and the destruction of an entire city - he had caused it with full intent. No matter what the people of Caloria had been doing, they hadn't deserved this.

Murata glanced at him nervously as Yuri's hands clenched into tight fists and he began to tremble. He couldn't tell if Yuri was shaking in rage or fear.

Even as the ground shuddered again, almost sending Murata to his knees, Yuri remained frighteningly still.

"You..." Yuri finally forced the words out, each one almost sticking in his throat. "You... had no right..."

Maxine sneered. "Caloria is just a territory of Small Cimaron. They were the ones who had no right to get so full of themselves! In the end, at least they could be of some use to us - showing the world the power we now hold!" Maxine chuckled again. "Once we retrieve the Box and the Key, and Small Cimaron's future will be assured!"

"Small Cimaron's future? Of some use? People lost their lives! And it still hasn't stopped! Those left behind might never be able to return to their homes!" Yuri yelled. "All for what?!"

"Shut up!" Maxine snapped back, gesturing to the soldiers. One stepped forward and clobbered Yuri heavily across the back, sending him to his knees. "We'll make use of you too. You there, ready the retrieval gear!"

The soldier he had pointed to hesitated for a moment, something that Murata noted with narrowed eyes. But under Maxine's glare, others readily hurried to the winches set up near the edge of the crater.

"You see, we made a bit of a miscalculation," Maxine mused, watching the soldiers struggle to wind the cables, which were continually being drawn back and tangled by the sea's chaotic flow. "Under the power of the Box, this entire area collapsed into the sea, taking the Box with it. The currents are too strong for any ship to approach, so we've had to send men to retrieve from here."

'Those cables are from ships' anchors. They must have been repurposed,' Murata thought, noting the thickness and strength of the cables. 'But they're so worn. Just how strong are those currents? There's no way anyone could survive long enough to reach the Box.'

Finally, the cables were dragged free of the water, and the array on the end appeared over the cliff. It was also repurposed, from a ship's cargo hauling system, really just hooks and nets to wrap around the Box. But tied to the array was something else - soldiers in Small Cimaron uniforms, stripped of the outer armor and boots.

Or rather, those were the soldiers' bodies.

Murata could easily imagine what had happened. They had been sent to try to reach the Box, but the strong currents had pulled them under and...

With a faint expression of disdain, Maxine gestured for his remaining subordinates to untie the bodies from the cables. Strolling up to them, he toed one corpse, then suddenly kicked it over the edge, back into the sea.

"They've all failed," Maxine stated dispassionately. "But maybe you'll have more luck."

'This is really bad,' Murata thought. 'We'll die for sure. We need to get out of here.' His eyes darted across the temporary camp and the soldiers gathered around them. 'There aren't too many of them. We might be able to make a break for it...'

He glanced toward Yuri, hoping to somehow convey that they needed a distraction, something Yuri should be more than able to provide. But the sight that greeted him made Murata pause.

Yuri was still kneeling where he had been knocked down. His head hung low, his expression hidden. But something other than the wind stirred his hair, which darkened and appeared to lengthen even as Murata watched. The soldier who had approached them to carry out Maxine's orders froze, staring in shock as well.

A sudden, violent tremor sent everyone stumbling. Only Yuri remained unmoved. Then, in the next instance, a powerful aura erupted from his body, sending the soldiers around him flying and forcing Murata to shield his face. Winds ripped across the camp, flattening the tents, and a violent pressure kept everyone pinned to the ground.

"You, who would throw away lives so callously, both of innocents and of your own men, have no right to such power! You touched what should have never been disturbed! And in your arrogance, you brought ruin to this land! Your crimes must be punished!" the Demon King declared, sweeping his arm out in a grand gesture. "Justice be done!" The sea surged behind him, a tidal wave bursting from the crater and engulfing the Small Cimaron contingent.

The waters flowed across the cliff, then drained away, taking with them Maxine and most of his men. Only Murata and a single soldier, who had crowded close to the two, remained beside the crater.

Having passed judgment and no longer concerned with their fate, wherever they had been taken to, Yuri turned to face the sea. As he approached the edge of the crater, the waves suddenly parted, forming a path in front of him. In the center of the newly-revealed seabed, the Box gave off an ominous light, all the more obvious as the sky darkened.

"Shibuya! You have to open the Box and take out the Key!" Murata yelled.

The Demon King gave no indication of hearing his advice as he paused for a moment on the edge, then jumped off into the caldera.

He covered what should have been a fair distance with a single, graceful leap, landing just a few feet from the Box. The pressure of the forbidden object pushed even the Demon King back before he gritted his teeth and forced himself to take a step forward instead.

Yuri refused to give up, even as he felt the malevolent power of the Forbidden Box envelop him. Up close, he truly recognized its nature. He couldn't leave something like this where it could continue to poison the world and where it could be used again.

Still, it felt like his skin was being flayed off.

That was only an illusion, Yuri knew. The damage was being done deeper, invisibly, to his magic and soul. Even with the power he had suddenly been able to grasp, he wouldn't hold out for long.

He could see his hand, visually undamaged, reach out to the Box and grab onto its edge.

The sensation was like taking hold of a live wire. All the muscles in his arm clenched simultaneously, spasming. Yuri could not have released the Box even if he had wanted to, and he swore he could feel something reaching out toward him, trying to take hold of his soul.

'Open the Box and take out the Key,' he repeated to himself. 'Open the Box, take out the Key.'

Throwing all his weight into the motion, he pushed the lid up and tossed it back. The power inside the Box shuddered, letting him loose, and burst forth into the sky.

Yuri squinted against the light, forcing himself to stand his ground. Inside the Box was... an arm. Someone's severed arm was the only thing inside the otherwise plain container. If he hadn't needed to focus his entire being on simply withstanding the Box's power, Yuri would have felt nauseous.

He tried to reach inside, only to scream in surprise as his arm felt as if it had been dipped in acid. Reflexively, he flinched away, the malevolent energy shoving him even further away.

Beyond his limited perception, the power of the Box was once more becoming agitated. The earth shook, each tremor stronger than the last. The edge of the crater began to collapse, the affected area widening. With his attention fixed on Yuri's efforts, Murata couldn't move back in time as the earth gave way under his feet.

To his surprise, the soldier who had doggedly remained beside him pulled Murata back and away from the edge. His helmet had been knocked away, revealing bright orange hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed oddly familiar.

There wasn't time for that. Murata turned away, looking back to where Yuri remained slumped next to the Forbidden Box.

"It's not enough," Murata muttered to himself. "He hasn't even had time to acclimate to this world." He ignored the way the soldier stared at him in surprise as he lifted both hands and held them toward Yuri's bowed figure. "Let's do this, Shibuya. You never back down. I know you haven't given up yet."

'It's not over till it's over!' they shared the same thought.

The magic in both of them pulsed together, synchronizing and strengthening. With that renewed surge of strength, Yuri pushed himself into action. Grabbing the edge of the Box and levering himself forward, Yuri reached inside, his fingers scraping across the wooden bottom before coming into contact with worn cloth and...

Yuri felt his stomach curl at the sensation. He felt sick. His hand wrapped around a strong wrist, and he pulled with all his might.

Murata gasped, his legs giving out under him. He felt the moment the Key left the Box. The seal had weakened, but it slammed back into place forcefully, cutting off the malevolent power inside. For a moment, everything was frozen in the same strangely still panorama.

Then, Yuri's figure wavered, collapsing as well. Around him, the standing waves began to fall, with his power no longer forcing the water away.

"Shibuya!" Muarata yelled, reaching toward his friend just before he was swallowed up by the sea.

The bright-haired soldier's hand on his shoulder pulled him back, barely in time to avoid a final violent tidal wave that rose from the crater and swept across the land beside the new cove. When the water receded, Murata saw with relief the figure of his friend and an innocuous wooden box, washed up on the shore.

"He actually did it," Murata mumbled, sagging. "What a way to start your reign, 27th Demon King."

~.~.~

"To think those Small Cimaron fools tried to match us and ended up losing control of a Box," Belar mused. Slumped on his throne, the king of Big Cimaron let his head rest against one fist. "Well, it might be for the best. Now, no one will be able to deny the power we hold - the power of one of the Forbidden Boxes. And of course, it's Key," he added, turning his smirk on the man standing respectfully behind his throne.

Conrart bowed deeply, his expression unwavering. "Of course, King Belar."

"Still, it's better not to allow those peons to get their hands on such power," Belar said, his eyes narrowing as he stared up at one of the tapestries depicting Cimaron's glorious past. "It's unfortunate you were unable to intercept the Box at Svelera, Lord Weller. You will also be in charge of the next expedition to recover another Box. Perhaps you'll be more successful this time."

Again, the man behind him gave no apparent reaction, making Belar frown. 'Weller holds the Key I need, but I can't trust him. A man who betrayed one master can easily turn on another,' Belar thought.

"Unfortunately, it seems that the Box Small Cimaron acquired has changed hands. According to my spies' reports, it was retrieved by the Demon Tribe. Those savages," Belar scowled.

The information was news to Conrart, though only the way his gaze shifted to Belar showed his surprise.

"Keep an eye out for them. You should be familiar with their methods, Lord Weller," Belar continued, though Conrart didn't respond to his jibe. Watching with interest, Belar added, "Especially not with those rumors of them finally finding themselves a new Demon King."

This time, the reaction was clear. Conrart stiffened, his eyes widening, though he forced himself to relax a moment later.

'So there is something Weller cares about,' Belar thought. He smirked. 'Well, that doesn't matter in the end. His arm is all I really need.'

Turning away, Belar carelessly finished, "They may seek another Box for themselves as well. That can't be allowed." He waved one hand in clear dismissal, having gotten what he sought.

Bowing again, Conrart backed away into the shadows. He let out a heavy breath as he stepped out into the empty hallway. The deferential expression slipped off his face, replaced by a cold, blank look.

"With this, I'll be in the best position to make sure that Box doesn't fall into Belar's hands," he said to himself, "but..."

He reached into the inner pocket of the Big Cimaron uniform. His fingers slid over the surface of the pendant he no longer felt worthy of wearing but had not been able to pass to the person it rightfully belonged to.

"Has he really arrived? Yuri..." Conrart sighed. He had already made his decision. There was no backing out now. "I'll do anything," he promised. "Whatever it takes."

~.~.~


	3. II-1 Where you are going

~.~.~

Title: A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Yuri wakes up at a castle and proves his qualifications as a plucky heroine.

~.~.~

**Part II, Chapter 1**

_Where are you going?_

~.~.~

"There is no doubt. This person is indeed the Great Wiseman of Double-black," the tiny girl declared, immediately bowing to the figure kneeling in front of her. "I truly apologize for this disrespect, Your Eminence."

"It's fine, Ulrike," Murata assured her, rising from where he crouched to put himself eye-level with her. "It's best you make sure. And if it hadn't been for you, Shibuya and I wouldn't have even been able to make it here, to this world."

Ulrike blushed, pleased with his praise. "Truly, Your Eminence? I was afraid that my powers had been disrupted by the Forbidden Box..."

"I definitely felt you, if just for a moment," Murata said, nodding firmly. "It's because you continued praying, day and night, right? Traveling between worlds really needs to be done from both sides. If that connection can't be made, it's almost impossible to get through. Even with the ritual we used, Shibuya and I would have probably failed by ourselves. Or we might have ended up in the past, the future, or in another dimension altogether. It's thanks to you that we made it safely." The light glinted off his glasses ominously, even as he smiled.

An older man stepped out of the shadows behind the pair, his expression forbidding. "It's all well and good to have that confirmed, but we have other pressing matters to address," he stated coolly.

"I told you there was no doubt of His Majesty's identity, Gwendal," his companion insisted, his pale hair and clothes almost glowing in the faint light. "I witnessed our king's power for myself in Caloria. It was only with the Demon King's amazing magic that we were able to retrieve the Forbidden Box, Ends of the Earth." He sighed dramatically, the luminous blush spreading across his face visible even in the half-light of the Tomb of the Great One. "Oh, Your Majesty~!"

"Control yourself, Lord Von Crist," Gwendal muttered, looking faintly pained. How had a man previously so competent and cool come to this?

"That was pretty close too," Murata said. "Even when I lent him my power, Shibuya was barely able to pull it off. It's been two weeks, and he still hasn't woken up."

"The power of the Originators is truly terrifying," Ulrike murmured. "Even for the Demon King." She and the two men glanced at the deceptively simple wooden box now situated on the altar below the Great One's emblem. Nothing about it suggested the malevolent energy that had destroyed Caloria.

"That wasn't even a fraction of their power," Murata muttered to himself. But in the silence of the dark chamber, his words carried easily, and the three Demon Tribesmen turned to stare at him in shock. Murata shook his head. "This Box is the Ends of the Earth. The key to it is the left eye of an individual born in the designated bloodline. The Key Small Cimaron used was a left arm, which should go with the End of the Wind. If the right Key had been used, not even Shibuya would have been able to reseal the Box."

Ulrike had raised her tiny hands over her mouth, her already pale skin losing all color. For his part, Lord Gunter Von Crist looked more serious than Murata had seen since the man had led the Demon Tribe contingent in Caloria to retrieve him and Yuri. He exchanged a meaningful look with Gwendal, making Murata narrow his eyes thoughtfully.

"It has been several lifetimes since I was last in this world, but if I remember correctly, the bloodline of the Key of the End of the Wind was based in Big Cimaron," Murata mused, his glasses glinting ominously. "I wonder what happened for the Key to end up in Small Cimaron hands. Well, since it came from a Big Cimaron man, I doubt his fate was pleasant."

His smile remained steady, even as Gunter looked away uncomfortably, and the frown on Gwendal's face deepened. Even Ulrike, standing to one side, seemed to curl into herself.

"We think... this Key... the man this arm belonged to... was not from Big Cimaron," Gunter finally admitted, almost stumbling over his words. "There was an incident at the border. A traitor to the Demon Tribe attacked one of our patrols and... cut off the arm of... a soldier in the patrol."

"And you think this is that same arm?" Murata asked. He could tell they were hiding something, but he also suspected that they wouldn't reveal this secret so simply.

"There is no doubt," Gwendal said quietly, his expression hidden.

'How can you be so sure? Why would you be so familiar with some soldier, Lord Von Voltaire?' Murata wondered privately.

"And what happened to that soldier? Did he die?" Murata asked instead. "If I could study the body..."

"It vanished," Gwendal stated. But somehow, Murata couldn't imagine that was the end of the story.

~.~.~

Yuri woke up slowly. He was warm. He was lying on something soft and smooth. His body felt a little weak. The light was actually pretty bright, and not in an early morning kind of way. Had he overslept?

No, wait. It was summer break. He didn't have school.

No, wait. That wasn't right either...

Yuri's eyes snapped open as memories came rushing back.

He and Murata had gone to the other world. But instead of the Demon Kingdom, they had ended up in a land had been ruined by a cursed box. They had gone to stop it - well, Yuri had gone and dragged Murata along, like usual - and then...

Yuri sat up, putting a hand to his head. Faint impressions drifted through his head, refusing to solidify. He remembered getting so angry at the people who had opened the Box. He had reached out and... used elemental magic. He'd never been able to do that before.

But what happened after that? Yuri had the impression of seeing the Box, touching it. He shivered, remembering the phantom pain. Had he been able to close it? He thought so. Murata had helped him, hadn't he?

So where was he now? Looking around, Yuri could see what looked like a very opulent bedroom. The giant bed alone, with its draping curtains, myriad pillows and ornate bedspread, redefined Yuri's perceptions of extravagance. The rest of the furniture matched that level. The room itself appeared to be roughly the size of his entire house back in Japan.

Slipping out of bed, Yuri slowly made his way to the large double doors. He winced as his body protested. Everything felt sore. He paused in front of the doors, listening carefully. On the other side, he could hear the muffled sounds of armor clinking together and what he thought might have been spear ends tapping against the floor.

'I'm in a super luxurious room, in some castle, with guards posted outside,' Yuri thought. 'Did I... get kidnapped?'

Yuri had perhaps, however grudgingly, spent too much time with his mother.

He scowled. 'Well, I'm not going to sit here and wait to be rescued! I need to get out of this room, find out what's going on, get Murata and get to the Demon Kingdom!'

The only questions was how he would accomplish any of that. His sore muscles twinged again as he backed away from the double doors. His magic was also still drained. There was no way he would be able to do much of anything to the guards. Instead, Yuri glanced speculatively at one of the large windows.

Seeing his reflection in the glass reminded Yuri about what Murata had said regarding black hair and eyes. He easily wove an illusion that shifted his coloring to a more plain brown, then grimaced as even that drained his limited magic.

'I better not spend too long running around this place, or I won't be able to keep this up,' Yuri thought, opening the window and leaning out for a good look.

He was too far up to even think about climbing down. In fact, he appeared to be in a tower, with the rest of the castle spread out below. There was a large courtyard as well, a flowerbed and a fountain, all surrounded by towering dark stone walls. Beyond them, Yuri could see a colorful town at the bottom of a cliff. It too was surrounded by walls.

'It's really like something out of European fairy tale,' Yuri thought. 'Mom would love this.' Jennifer had always loved fantasy and adventure, while Yuri himself prefered historical dramas, so they had compromised with European medieval adventure stories.

Before going any further, Yuri made of a change of clothes that had obviously been left for him. The pants and undershirt were fine, but the ornate jacket and cravat were entirely too much. Snorting, Yuri left them behind.

The bed's long, showy drapes came in quite handy. Yuri made short work of securing them to a heavy wardrobe next to a window and letting them hang down like a rope. They wouldn't be nearly long enough to reach the ground, but he could easily climb down to the next floor down.

The whole thing went rather well, except for a few tense moments when a skeleton with wings flew by. Yuri watched it pass by with wide eyes, and he supposed it watched him in return, though it was a little hard to tell, given its lack of eyeballs.

Carefully levering open the window he hung beside, Yuri slipped into the empty room. It was quite a bit smaller and less impressive than the one he had just left, Yuri noted as he made his way to the door. 'Who would put me in a room that nice and leave me clothes like that?' he wondered.

'Well, at least I got out, pretty handily if I do say so myself,' Yuri mentally congratulated himself, only to freeze, one hand on the door handle, as he realized why he had thought of a way out so easily. 'I'm like one of those plucky heroines from Mom's shows!'

It was a terrifying thought. This was exactly the kind of situation a heroine in one of the shows Jennifer liked to watch would find herself in - a simple girl with a mysterious past or destiny or bloodline, kidnapped by mysterious unknown individuals, put into a gilded cage, dressed up like a French doll, to be m-m-married off to some handsome but creepy guy...

Of course, Jennifer of Yokohama prefered her heroines to be brave and capable, so they always found a way to turn the situation around, including sneaking out through the window.

Yuri shook his head furiously. 'No way! This is nothing like that!' Trying to shove the thought away, he quickly opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. He only realized a moment too late that he should have at least checked if there was someone else there.

In that moment, he eyes met those of a startled young woman carrying a basket of laundry down the same hall.

~.~.~

Yuri and the young woman regarded each other in surprise. Yuri could feel himself break out in cold sweat. He needed to say something to move suspicion away from himself. He really hoped the room he had just stepped out of wasn't some lord's private study.

For her part, the young woman let her grip on the laundry basket slip in her surprise and had to scramble to catch it again.

Before he knew what he was doing, Yuri was moving to help her. "Let me get that," he said smiling. "You look like you're..." He trailed off, staring at the large bump that had been revealed when he took the basket from here.

"Pregnant?" the woman suggested, smiling wryly.

"And you're still working? Don't you get maternity leave?" She looked quite far along, though Yuri was far from an expert.

"I like to help out," she told him. Her brown eyes studied him thoughtfully. "I haven't see you around before. I guess you're new here."

"Um, yeah," Yuri agreed. "I... got lost."

"Oh, I know what you mean!" she laughed. "Covenant Castle is so big! It's okay, but make sure you don't go up past this floor. The next floor is forbidden to all the staff, remember?"

"Sorry, I forgot. Did something happen up there?" Yuri inquired, quite sneakily he thought, as the woman began to herd him along.

"Well, I heard that someone very special arrived and has been staying there," she confided, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "There's rumors that it might even be the new Demon King!"

Yuri fumbled with the basked in surprise. "O-oh? The Demon King?"

"Yes! Isn't it exciting?" the woman exclaimed, then blushed faintly. "Of course, I'm not from here, but even I can tell how excited everyone is."

"You're not from here?" Yuri repeated. He hadn't actually seen anyone else, so he didn't know whether she stood out or not. To him, she looked like an ordinary woman.

She nodded slowly, looking away. "I'm not from the Demon Tribe. I... well, I fell in love with a man from the Demon Tribe, and we..." Her hands curled around her full stomach. "Everyone has been very kind, letting me stay here until my baby is born."

'So here is the Demon Kingdom?' Yuri thought. 'That's... That's really good, actually! Everything makes sense. I guess I didn't need to sneak out after all. Oh well.'

He could sort out that particular issue later, after he found Murata.

"Have you decided on a name?" Yuri asked instead, beaming at the woman. She seemed surprised by his reaction, and Yuri hoped he hadn't said something weird. Was there some

tradition in this world about naming babies?

"Name? Well, not... Oh! I'm so sorry!" the woman apologized suddenly. "I just realized I never introduced myself. I'm Nicola."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Yuri," he replied. "I guess choosing a baby's name isn't that easy. My mom's favorite story is about how she chose my name. A man who helped her when she was getting ready to give birth suggested it. It's from the word for July, since I was born at the end of the seventh month."

"The seventh month? Oh, 'Juli', of course!" Nicola laughed. "That's lovely."

Jennifer, or rather Miko Shibuya, had of course change the name a little to suit Japanese phonetics. "Juli" became "Yuri", complete with banking-themed kanji. So Yuri hadn't been sure Nicola would be able to make the connection. It was nice to come to the place where his name actually made sense.

~.~.~

Guys. Guys, I don't remember a single thing that happened in Season 3. The end of Season 2 is pretty hazy, so I'm rewatching it right now, but I've got absolutely no recollection of Season 3 at all. I think I might have never watched it. ... Oh well! It's fanfiction! Who cares about the little details?


	4. II-2 Who you trust

~.~.~

Title: A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Yuri gets into a fight. Failure to keep identity secret count: 2.

~.~.~

**Part II, Chapter 2**

_Who can you trust?_

~.~.~

Fortunately, Nicola had been finishing up her rounds, and the two soon made their way down to the ground floor of the castle. The hallways were filled with people, maids, soldiers and the occasional stunning individual that could only be a noble, judging by the way Nicola bowed to them.

Yuri had been a little worried that some of them might recognize his face, but no one even looked at them twice, and Yuri began to think he might actually be able to slip away without any fuss.

All that changed when they were crossing the courtyard.

Despite her upbeat disposition, Nicola had begun to tire as they were coming down the stairs. Though she put on a determined smile as they navigated the crowded corridors, Yuri could see that she was sweating and flushed.

"Let's rest," he suggested as they were passing the fountain he had glimpsed from the window. As he made a great show of setting down the laundry basket, Nicola gave him a grateful smile.

Looking at the flowerbed, in full bloom next to the fountain, Yuri smiled as well. 'I can't believe it took me so long to realize that this is the Demon Kingdom,' he thought. Crouching next to the flower, he breathed in deeply. But as his eyes looked over the riot of color, Yuri felt a crease start to appear between his eyebrows.

'Red, white, yellow... Isn't there something missing?' Yuri wondered. He couldn't pin it down, but something felt off.

Turning to Nicola, Yuri intended to ask about the flowers, but instead he found himself frowning. One of the nobles, a young man with sunny yellow hair and lovely features, had stopped and stood glaring at Nicola. His eyes slid disapprovingly to the laundry basket Yuri had left next to her.

"You there, human!" the noble called out harshly, approaching Nicola. "Don't just sit there daydreaming! Don't you have work to do?"

Nicola accepted his rebuke, only bowing and moving to take up the laundry basket, but Yuri felt indignation coil in his gut.

"Hey! Leave her alone! Can't you see she's pregnant?" he demanded, stalking over to stand between the two.

"Yuri, it's alright," Nicola tried to tell him quietly, but Yuri refused to just let her get bullied around by some arrogant-looking princeling.

The blond boy sneered at him. "And just who do you think you are, to tell me what to do? Do you know who I am?"

"No, and I don't care. Nothing would give you the right to harass her!" Yuri shot back.

"I am Lord Wolfram Von Bielefelt! I'll teach you your place, you common upstart!" the young lord declared, his hand going to his sword.

His intention was obvious, and Yuri knew he could dodge with ease. But Nicola was behind him. What if she was hit? Instead, Yuri closed in, crowding Wolfram back and forcing him to retreat before he could draw his blade.

"Nicola, go!" Yuri called over his shoulder.

"Yuri," Nicola uttered pleadingly, but she moved away as quickly as her state would allow.

Wolfram had drawn his sword, and he swung it loosely at Yuri, aiming to injure and scare, but not kill. Yuri ducked the first swing and jumped away as Wolfram drew back to strike again.

Landing on the edge of the fountain, Yuri considered his options. They were overall rather few. He wasn't much of a fighter. His specialty was illusions, which wouldn't be much good in a straight fight. When an opponent was already looking at you, they could easily break out of any illusion you cast. That was especially true for Demon Tribesmen.

There were a few techniques Yuri knew that could work in battle, but they were really intended more as distraction to cover your retreat. In a situation like this, Yuri refused to run. This wasn't even about winning - it was about standing up for what's right.

"Running away?" Wolfram taunted, as if reading Yuri's thoughts. "I suppose that's all someone like you can do. You seem to like that woman. You're like her, aren't you? A filthy human, or maybe a half-breed. You have no chance against a pure-blooded Demon Tribesman like me."

"You got something against humans?" Yuri demanded.

"That's right! They're scum!" Wolfram yelled back, his fine features twisting with a deep anger. "We should have wiped them all out in the war! And those of mixed blood are the worst abominations of all! Creatures like that shouldn't exist!"

Watching their fight with fear, Nicola curled her arms protectively around her unborn child, the fruit of her love for a man of the Demon Tribe.

Yuri could feel his own rage building. No matter what this young lord's reasons, saying that any life, especially one that hasn't even had the chance to properly begin, doesn't have the right to exist was too much. Everyone had the right to live.

Behind him, the water in the fountain exploded upward in a tornado.

"Who are you to judge the value of another life?" the Demon King roared. "You will be the one to receive Judgment!"

~.~.~

Returning to Covenant Castle from the Tomb of the Great One, Murata and his escort had just passed through the castle gates when they noticed the commotion. Servants and soldiers were running around in a panic, though the cause wasn't visible.

"Report!" Gwendal barked, gesturing to the first unfortunate soldier to come close to their party.

"Sir!" the poor man saluted sharply, his expression showing absolute terror. "Lord Von Bielefelt is fighting with... with..."

"Wolfram?" Gwendal repeated, his brows furrowing in confusion. "Well, with whom? Spit it out!"

"I think... it might be the Demon King! Sir!" the poor soldier stammered.

Behind him, the sleek, serpentine form of a water dragon rose up into the air and roared.

Murata could only sigh. Of course Yuri would get into a fight - with one of the Ten Aristocrat Families, no less! - the moment Murata left him alone.

Without waiting for the others to absorb what they had been told or pausing to explain, Murata spurred his horse in the direction of the water dragon. As he galloped closer, Murata could see that it originated from a fountain. Young Lord Von Bielefelt was indeed present, his sword drawn and remaining wisps of fire magic still lingering around him, but he had backed away in surprise. His wide eyes were fixed on Yuri's figure.

Yuri himself stood on the fountain's edge, his hair and eyes both painfully black in the bright sunshine, looking down on Wolfram as streams of water swirled around him. His dragon loomed over his shoulder, but Murata could already see that it was barely holding its shape.

'He hasn't recovered properly,' Murata thought, just as Yuri himself wavered on his feet, the water he had been controlling beginning to disperse.

Noticing his own weakness, Yuri gritted his teeth and gestured sharply. What water remained under his control surged toward Wolfram, blasting him away. Exhausted, Yuri tumbled back into the fountain, while Wolfram was left on the other side of the courtyard, soaked and sputtering but largely unharmed.

Murata jumped off his horse as he drew up to the fountain, already reaching in to help Yuri. "Shibuya, are you alright?" he asked.

Yuri groaned and coughed, but he seemed uninjured, if exhausted.

"Honestly, what were you thinking?" Murata complained, helping his friend to his feet. "Now look at you. You're absolutely soaked."

"My head is killing me," Yuri mumbled. "What happened?"

"You called on the spirits and used water magic," Murata said. "While you were still recovering from your last stunt."

"Yeah, I don't feel too well," Yuri agreed. As he drew his hand away, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"The Box is in the Tomb of the Great One. It's safe there. And I had the priestess dispose of the Key," Murata replied, easily able to follow Yuri's train of thought. His friend shot him a grateful smile.

Gwendal, Gunter and the rest of their group finally burst onto the scene. Lord Von Voltaire surveyed the impromptu battlefield quickly before his eyes settled on Yuri, just as Gunter let out what sounded like a girlish sigh of admiration.

"This isn't how imagine things would go," Murata said, turning to face them, "but I would like to present to you His Majesty, the 27th Demon King of the Great Demon Kingdom, Yuri Shibuya."

Sheepishly, Yuri waved.

~.~.~

For a moment, everything stopped.

"That's ridiculous! I refuse to believe it!" Wolfram was the first to break the silence. Despite his drenched and miserable appearance, he had dragged himself to his feet and was stalking back toward Yuri and the others surrounding him.

"I can assure you, Lord Von Bielefelt, that this individual is indeed His Majesty!" Gunter protested. "I saw his power for myself in Caloria, as you did just now. And what's more, you can clearly see his noble double-black appearance!"

"His hair and eyes were brown before!" Wolfram protested.

"That was an illusion I created," Yuri spoke up. He squinted up at his soggy bangs, now once again their proper black color. "I guess it dispelled. I wonder if this means I can't use both kinds of magic at once."

"Illusion? Some kind of esoteric skill?" Wolfram shot back. "What kind of Demon Tribesman are you, dabbling in that kind of thing? Just what I would expect from a human-loving-"

Wolfram broke off as Yuri glared at him with narrowed eyes, clearing remembering the way Yuri's magic had pressed against him and how helpless he had been against that force. Yuri's power, at least, wasn't in doubt.

Huffing, Murata nudged his friend. "Cool it, Shibuya. You're in no condition to pick a fight," he muttered. Raising his voice, he told the others, "Illusions are a branch of magic used on Earth. The elemental magic the Demon Tribe in this world uses relies on the pacts with the spirits. On Earth, few spirits are... amenable to lending their assistance, so the Demon Tribe there uses magic in other, usually less powerful but more subtle ways."

"You mean like healing magic?" Gwendal suggested thoughtfully, getting a nod in response from Murata, while Yuri and Wolfram both grimaced a little.

"Oh man, I'm so bad at healing," Yuri muttered to himself.

"Hmph. Healing! A soldier should fight, not heal!" Wolfram grumbled under his breath.

"Your Majesty! Your exotic skills are simply amazing!" Gunter gushed, making Yuri stare at him oddly.

"Um, no, I'm not that good, really," Yuri tried to wave away the compliments. "I'm still a beginner. I just started a couple years ago, and I can only do little things."

Gwendal's gaze shifted to Yuri, pinning him in place. "Is that how you were able to leave your room unnoticed?" he asked, having already realized the only way this situation could have come about.

"No, I just climbed out through the windows," Yuri replied honestly.

Snorting, Gwendal turned away. "I apologize for my brother's insult toward you," he said, though his tone conveyed no apology. "I regret that I will not be able to properly welcome you to the Demon Kingdom, but there are urgent matters demanding my attention, and I will be departing shortly."

'This guy might be an iceberg to his brother's spitfire, and they might look nothing alike, but somehow I still see a resemblance,' Yuri thought irritably. 'They're both so stuck up.'

"You must at least attend the dinner party being held in His Majesty's honor!" Gunter protested.

"There's no time for that," Gwendal said shortly. "I need to begin preparations."

"Preparations for what? What's going on?" Yuri demanded, his eyes narrowing as he straightened. It still seemed a little unreal to him, that he had finally arrived in the Demon Kingdom and that he was the King of this land, but in his own way, he had already accepted that responsibility. If there was something so important happening, he needed to know about it.

"With His Majesty's display of power, attention is turning to us again," Gwendal said, somehow conveying disdain despite his tone and expression remaining unchanged. "The rumors of Big Cimaron being in possession of a Forbidden Box draw some of the pressure away from the Demon Kingdom, but nonetheless, war is looming on the horizon. We have many enemies. Our borders will need to be reinforced, on all sides."

"War?!" Yuri yelped in surprise. "We can't go to war! I won't let that happen!"

"Our enemies disagree," Gwendal said shortly. "Now, if you'll excuse me. Lord Von Crist, I leave the castle in your hands." Rather than wait for dismissal, he nodded perfunctorily to Yuri and a little more neutrally to Murata before urging his horse away from the scene.

"Really, Gwendal," Gunter protested his rudeness half-heartedly.

Yuri watched him go, caught between worry and annoyance.

Turning to his king, Gunter bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, let me be the first to welcome you to the Great Demon Kingdom," he began. "I am truly sorry that circumstances do not allow us to greet you properly, as befitting your majestic self. As Lord Von Voltaire said, there are many pressing issues that must be addressed at once."

"That's alright, I understand," Yuri assured him, though his smile was still a tad uncertain.

"Tonight we will hold a dinner party to properly celebrate your arrival," Gunter continued. "Rest assured, it will be suited to one of your standing. Nothing but the finest will be served!"

"Thanks, I guess," Yuri said. "I'll see you then?"

Gunter beamed, bowing deeply again, before departing, leaving Yuri with Murata... and Wolfram.

~.~.~

Oh Wolf, you should really learn not to direct your frustrations at uninvolved innocent parties. Next chapter, some explanations. ...Maybe.


	5. II-3 It's a promise

~.~.~

Title: A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Nicola recalls what happened in Svelera.

~.~.~

**Part II, Chapter 3**

_It's a promise_

~.~.~

"Well, I still refuse to acknowledge you as the Demon King," Wolfram declared, scowling at Yuri, after Gunter had departed.

Yuri glared back. "I wouldn't want to be acknowledge by you anyway," he replied.

Murata elbowed him again. "What did I tell you about picking fights? Not to mention, he's one of the Ten Aristocrats. You'll need his support," he hissed.

"I don't want to be part of something this guy would support," Yuri hissed back. "He was bullying a pregnant lady, just because she's human-"

Yuri stopped short, realization dawning on his face.

"Nicola!" he exclaimed, looking around frantically for the woman. He had lost track of her once magic came into the equation, and now he only hoped she hadn't gotten hurt in their brawl.

He glanced around the courtyard. Servants and soldiers had gathered around the edges, whispering and pointing at the spectacle Yuri and Wolfram had caused, but not daring to approach the three young men, even with the fight over.

Wolfram's glare cowed them somewhat, but they didn't scurry away like they usually would have. This was too interesting, too big to miss, even at the risk of young Lord Von Bielefelt's wrath.

It took Yuri a moment to find Nicola. She had hidden behind the fountain and had of course subsequently gotten drenched during Yuri's little water show.

"I'm so sorry, Nicola!" Yuri said, helping the stunned woman to her feet. "You're all wet, and the laundry too! What a mess!"

He bent down to pick up one of the sheets - not only wet, but muddy too - when Nicola grabbed his arm. She drew back immediately, as if burned. "No! Please, it's alright, Your Majesty. I'm so sorry... for making you carry the laundry and..."

She trailed off, in tears, wet and shivering, though perhaps not from the cold. Yuri looked at her with surprise. "Why are you apologizing? I'm the one who didn't tell you, then picked a fight and got you all wet. Come on, I'll take these wherever they need to go and apologize for the mess," he said, quickly gathering the dirty laundry before Nicola could stop him, "so you can go dry off and change clothes. Wouldn't want to get sick!"

Nicola sniffled.

"What's wrong?" Yuri wondered, starting to get a little upset as well. "Are you hurt? I'll get a healer!"

Nicola burst into tears and buried her face in her hands. "Your Majesty, you're so kind," she sobbed, "even though I'm not even from the Demon Tribe!"

"Um, it's okay, really," Yuri tried to reassure her, patting her shoulder awkwardly. "I mena, the father's a Demon Tribesman, right? That makes you part of his family. This is your home now! ...If you want to stay here, that is."

Wolfram snorted. "That man? He doesn't deserve to be called part of the Demon Tribe!"

"You're wrong!" Nicola protested, wringing her hands. "You don't know how much Hube has suffered!"

"And you don't understand the depths of that man's sin!" Wolfram shot back.

"Then both of you explain!" Yuri broke in, moving to stand between the two.

"That's a good idea," Murata agreed quietly, coming up to the three of them. "But not out here. Let's take this somewhere else, shall we?"

~.~.~

Wolfram guided them to an empty room, stalking through the halls imperiously and sending maids scattering with his glare. At the door, he hesitated uncharacteristically, glancing back over his shoulder with an unreadable look.

Shaking his head irritably, he shoved the door open and led the way in.

The room had clearly been abandoned for some time. The bookshelves lining one wall were empty and covered in dust. The remaining furniture had been moved out of the way and covered in sheets. The air had even become a little stale.

Glancing out a sealed window, Murata noted that it was on the upper floor, hopefully out of the reach of eavesdroppers. Yuri, meanwhile, dragged the sheet off one of the chairs and presented it to Nicola, who sat down gratefully.

Wolfram leaned against the wall next to a window and stared outside broodingly, his arms tightly crossed.

For the first time, Yuri really studied the young nobleman - his golden hair and green eyes, his fine features and aristocratic bearing.

"What?" Wolfram demanded, noticing Yuri's attention on him.

"Nothing, nothing," Yuri waved him away. "Anyway, it seems like you both have something you disagree on. I'd like to get the full story and for you both to hear each other out. What do you say?" He tried to smile winningly at them. It might have seemed like a small thing, but Yuri felt like this was his first case as the Demon King - making peace between two of his subjects.

Nicola stared down at her clenched hands, while Wolfram harrumphed angrily. "There's no way a foreigner like you could understand," he said moodily. "You and this woman both have no comprehension of the sins that man committed."

"I do know!" Nicola protested. "I... I was told... what Hube did and why he was sent away. But Hube's changed! I mean... he... with me..."

"Wait, back up! Can you explain it to me a little more?" Yuri said, waving his hands. He shot a quick glance to Murata, but the other boy could only shrug. He hadn't really been able to catch up on recent history, even after they arrived in the Demon Kingdom. Instead, he had needed to explain their situation to Gwendal, Gunter and Ulrike, as well as pass their tests about his own identity.

Both Nicola and Wolfram fell silent, oddly unwilling to put into words what they both knew. "...I'm sorry," Nicola finally said. "I don't want you to think badly of Hube..."

It was Wolfram who explained, saying shortly, "Lord Gegenhuber Griesela was sent to recover the Demon Flute twenty years ago."

'That doesn't explain anything!' Yuri thought in annoyance.

"The Demon Flute was missing for centuries even back when I was here last," Murata pointed out. "Why the sudden search?"

"It was basically exile," Wolfram said. "He was never meant to find it."

"But Hube did find the Demon Flute!" Nicola spoke up. "He searched for a long time, but he finally found it in Svelera. It was down in the esoteric stone quarries. I was working there. I helped him and..." she blushed, "we fell in love."

"Esoteric stones are used by human wizards to cast spells," Murata whispered, leaning close to Yuri. "They interfere with Demon Tribe magic."

"And Svelera?" Yuri asked in an equally quiet tone. Murata only shrugged. There hadn't been any country called that in his time.

"But then things went terribly wrong," Nicola continued. "Soldiers came after us. We got separated. Hube was taken prisoner, but he gave me the flute... or at least, half of it." She paused, apparently considering what they needed to know about a rather complicated story. "I met Lord Von Crist and passed it to him. He retrieved the other half and agreed to let me come with him to the Demon Kingdom. I'm so grateful to him..."

"He was sent to investigate a supposed sighting of the Demon King," Wolfram added for Yuri and Murata's benefit, though he didn't bother so much as glancing toward either of them. "But it turned out to just be a misunderstanding because of the Demon Flute. Honestly, I can't believe he was so lenient..." Wolfram trailed off, appearing almost uncertain. "What I want to know is... did anything else happen in Svelera? There was something more to Gunter's report."

Nicola looked at him in surprise. Yuri was surprised too, since he couldn't see how this related to the issue they had been trying to resolve. For his part, Murata tilted his chin down thoughtfully, letting his glasses reflect the light. 'So, is that what he's really been after?' he thought.

Nonetheless, Nicola considered the question carefully. "Well... Lord Von Crist had to shut down one of the quarries. All the women escaped. And..." She looked sad again. "I convinced him to go to look for Hube. But he was already gone from the prison."

Wolfram tsked angrily, clearly not hearing what he wanted to know. Watching him, Yuri frowned.

"Oh, but..." Nicola added thoughtfully, "while we were at the prison, we ran into some soldiers that weren't from Svelera or Conansia or even Zorasia. They wore these brown uniforms and white coats. They were looking for something that they had heard was being kept at the prison. Whatever it was, it was already gone."

She paused, her brow furrowing. "Lord Von Crist was really surprised to see one of them. He even asked that man how he had managed to survive. And... something about his arm?"

Murata managed to hide his reaction to that, but Wolfram didn't. He hissed, some strong but indistinguishable emotion passing over his face.

Unnerved by his reactions, Nicola continued in a wavering voice, "They fought for a bit, but then that man and the soldiers with him retreated. After that, we set off for the Demon Kingdom..."

"So that's how it is," Wolfram muttered to himself. He glared out the window, seemingly withdrawing into his own thoughts.

"Are you satisfied?" Yuri interrupted, drawing his attention. "Did you get what you wanted? You never had any intention of changing your mind or listening to Nicola's side of things, did you? You just wanted to find something out."

If both sides didn't go into it with an open mind and a willingness to cooperate, how could an argument be properly resolved? Thinking about it made Yuri's frown deepen.

"You wouldn't be so eager to defend that man if you had met him," Wolfram said shortly. He shot a cold look toward Nicola. "His actions led to many deaths, but he had a special hatred for half-breeds. Did you know he spread rumors that those with human blood were selling information to our enemies during the war? They had no choice but to go into a hopeless battle just to prove their loyalty."

Yuri's eyes widened in surprise and his expression turned pensive.

Finally, he shook his head. "I think... the fact that he cared for Nicola already shows that he has changed. He was sent to find the Demon Flute, right? And he did. So he should be able to come home," Yuri decided.

"So you're just going to forgive him?" Wolfram demanded incredulously. "You don't understand that magnitude of his crime! He should have been executed, or at least exiled! But he's Gwendal's cousin, and my older brother couldn't bring himself to enforce a harsher punishment, no matter how well deserved." He seemed to grow more agitated as he spoke, until he was practically spitting the words out. "...As if being family makes any difference," he added quietly. "Even family can betray you..."

Somehow, Yuri had the feeling this wasn't about Lord Gegenhuber Griesela anymore. He couldn't help but look at Wolfram's rigid figure sadly. The young nobleman had crossed his arms so tightly he was almost hugging himself. His expression was probably meant to be angry and forbidding, but he just looked miserable.

"That's right. I'll forgive him," Yuri decided. "Whatever happened in the past, I believe Nicola when she says that he's a good man now. Everyone deserves a second chance."

Wolfram stared at him, caught between anger and disbelief, before shaking his head roughly and stalking out of the room. Yuri made no move to stop him, only watching him a little sadly. He might have been rude and abrasive, but he honestly seemed very hurt by something.

It seemed like solving his first case as Demon King would be a lot more complicated than he thought.

~.~.~

No reviews for last chapter? Huh. Just to remind everyone, this is basically a gen story.

So yeah. Here is a good example of what I mean about fudging things. I didn't want poor Nicola to be married off to some dude in Svelera, so things worked out even without Yuri. Also, the abortive fight between Gunter and Conrad from Francia happened in Svelera instead. Or something.


	6. II-4 Bare their fangs

~.~.~

Title: A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Yuri goes to a dinner party. It's a disaster. Then he decides to do something rash (again).

~.~.~

**Part II, Chapter 4**

_Bare their fangs_

~.~.~

Yuri was pulled out of his thoughts as Nicola touched his hand softly. "Thank you," she said quietly. "Thank you so much, Your Majesty."

"Um..." Yuri looked away, feeling awkward. "I haven't really done anything yet. We don't know where he is or if he'll come back..."

Nicola shook her head. "It's more than enough," she said. "I had almost given up hope. That's the reason I kept putting off choosing a name for this child." Her hands curled around her round stomach. "I felt like, if I chose a name without Hube, it would be over. The last connection between us would be gone. But I understand now. As long as I keep believing in him, there's still a chance."

Under her sincere smile, Yuri blushed a little. "I'll help too. I'll do my best to make sure you two are reunited," he said. "But I don't know how long it'll take..."

"That's alright. I'll wait for him as long as it takes," Nicola said. Looking down at her bump, she added, "But I better start thinking of a name for this little one. I'm due pretty soon, actually."

She looked up in surprise as Yuri placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Don't choose something weird," he said in a strangely hollow voice. His expression spoke of first-hand experience. "Please, just choose a real name that people actually use. Please."

"Uh, w-well," Nicola stammered, unsettled by his insistence and sudden change in demeanor. "What about Ernest? That's the name of Hube's father. Do you think... he'd like his grandson to be named after him?" She blushed a little, looking uncertain.

Yuri beamed in relief. "That sounds great! You can call him El for short!"

"Then this little one will be Ernst. A name chosen by the Demon King himself can only bring good luck," Nicola decided. "Oh, but what if it's a girl?"

"...Julia," Yuri said, without thinking. He looked surprised by his own suggestion.

Nicola looked momentarily saddened, but she nodded as well. "Yes, I think... Hube would agree too."

She slipped away with another smile. Only after she had stepped out of the room, Yuri realized the full implications of what he had done. "Does that mean I'll be the godfather?" he wondered.

"They didn't have that practice when I was here last," Murata said. "I'm pretty sure that having the person who names the baby be the godfather is a Japanese thing."

"It's not that I'd mind," Yuri added quickly. "I'd be happy to!"

"Well, I'm sure the kid'll be happy to have the Demon King as a godfather," Murata said dryly. 'He's ignoring me again.'

"I'll be the best godfather ever!" Yuri decided. He nodded to himself. 'Maybe I'll do okay on my first case after all,' he thought. 'At least I think I'm making some progress.' "But I wonder what's up with that pretty boy," Yuri mused. "I get the feeling his problem wasn't really with Nicola or even Hube."

"It probably wasn't," Murata agreed. He looked thoughtfully out the same window Wolfram had been standing beside.

'Young Lord Von Bielefelt wants to know about a soldier under another country's banner, who was assumed to be dead and had some issue concerning his arm. He's all worked about family and betrayal. Meanwhile, his older brother is strangely familiar with the arm of a soldier who went missing and is hiding something,' Murata thought, laying out the cards. 'Something like a betrayal, perhaps? Is that what they're covering up? And how does this play into that man's plan?'

"Did you figure something out?" Yuri asked, recognizing his expression.

"Maybe," Murata allowed, frowning slightly. "I'm not sure. I'll get back to you on it, okay? For now, we should get ready for that dinner party you were promised." He grinned, forcing his mood to lighten.

"Sure," Yuri agreed easily. "I hope it goes peacefully. I just want a nice, relaxing meal."

~.~.~

It was the most tense and uncomfortable dinner Yuri had ever attended.

The dinner party that evening managed to beat out even the time his mother's grandparents, both sets, had come to visit and spent the entire meal nitpicking at their child's spouse, at anything they perceived to be unacceptable in Yuri and Shori and at each other.

A flustered and apologetic Gunter had led Yuri and Murata to a cavernous room with only a single round table in the middle. He had then all but prostrated himself as he begged for forgiveness. Apparently, more urgent matters had come up at the last moment, forcing to work through the evening and likely the night.

Although it pained him greatly, he would be unable to break bread with His Majesty, he said, weeping.

Yuri had assured him that it was alright, but he was secretly a little disappointed. No matter how... effusive, Gunter seemed to at least genuinely like him. There was no telling who else would be present at this "dinner party."

He and Murata exchanged a quick look.

Leaning in, the Great Wiseman suggested, "If someone drops a knife, don't pick it up." His half-mischievous smile didn't inspire much confidence in Yuri, who shot his friend a rather unfriendly look. That wasn't the kind of advice Yuri was hoping for.

Instead of sitting down alone, the two of them loitered next to the table until the other guests arrived. They also came two together.

One of them was the young Lord Von Bielefelt. The other - a stunning woman who bore a very strong resemblance to him.

Yuri found himself staring at her, until Wolfram shot him a potent glare.

"Welcome to the Great Demon Kingdom, Your Majesty," the woman said brightly. "I'm your predecessor, Cecilie Von Spitzberg. But you can call me Celi."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Celi," Yuri replied, smiling a little awkwardly. "I'm Yuri Shibuya. I'll do my best to rule the Demon Kingdom well. I hope you'll help me get used to the job..."

Instead of shaking the hand he held out, Celi pounced. Her enthusiastic hug made Yuri choke and Wolfram scowl balefully.

"Oh, I'm leaving tonight in search of free love, but don't worry, Your Majesty!" Celi trilled. "You can count on my boys to help you!"

Looking up from where he had been firmly pressed against her impressive assets, Yuri felt his brow furrow. Although her voice remained light and cheerful, something about Celi's expression was deeply saddened.

"They're really good boys..." she repeated. Then suddenly, her smile was back in full force. "Don't mind my Wolf's temper! He's just so very passionate~!"

"Mother!" Wolfram protested, flushing a bit. "I'm not going to support this... this wimp!"

"I'm not a wimp!" Yuri yelled. "And I still don't want your support anyway!"

Murata elbowed him sharply. "He would be very grateful for your support. Especially given the current difficult situation." The look he shot Yuri made him grudgingly fall silent.

"These are difficult times," Celi agreed, her expression turning slightly downcast. "It's unfortunate that your reign would start with a crisis like this. But Your Majesty handled it so well!" She brightened again. "I heard all about the way you retrieved the Box! And don't you worry, my Gwendal will be sure to find and reclaim the others before they can be used."

"The others?" Yuri repeated. "That's right, there are four of those things. Do we know anything about where they might be?"

"One is in Big Cimaron's possession," Wolfram said, ignoring his mother's disapproving look. "That's why my older brother is so busy preparing our defenses. They made sure that everyone knew they had it, which leaves no doubt that they will soon take action."

Yuri surged to his feet, making the table and the expensive china rattle. "You think they'll use it?! Even after what the other one did to Caloria?"

"I'm afraid that a demonstration like that only helps them," Murata said, his glasses glinting ominously. "Now, they have proof of what their weapon can do."

"We can't let that happen," Yuri insisted. "Isn't there some way to convince them? Or get the Boxes away from them? And what about the other two Boxes?"

"Everyone is looking into that, Your Majesty," Celi said. "I assure you, no one in the Demon Kingdom wishes for a repeat of what happened in Caloria. It is our sacred duty to guard the Boxes and prevent their seal from being undone."

"But Gwendal is so busy with preparations, he'll have a hard time managing this too," Wolfram spoke up again. "We don't have the people or resources to spare for a wild goose chase across the world."

"Finding the Boxes should be a priority! What happened in Caloria can't be allowed to happen again!" Yuri insisted. He shivered faintly, remembering the devastation and the malevolent presence released from the Box.

"Protecting our kingdom and our people comes first!" Wolfram shot back, jumping to his feet as well. "Or are you so concerned with your precious humans you don't care what happens to the Demon Tribe?"

The two matched glares.

"That's enough of that," Celi broke in, her smile insistently cheerful. "Come now, let's not spoil a delicious meal with such heavy talk. It'll ruin your appetite! Your Majesty, try some of this! It's my favorite~"

She spooned something that looked like mushrooms onto his plate, and well-ingrained manners compeled Yuri to sit down and at least try the dish. Across from him, Wolfram did the same. Even as they ate and made stilted conversation, the two continued to glower at each other over the table.

~.~.~

"Well, that was a disaster," Yuri sighed, finally able to slip out the dining room.

"Oh, it wasn't so bad. The desserts were delicious," Murata said in his most annoying tone. He and Celi had carried most of the conversation during dinner, though Yuri at least had managed to settle down enough to enjoy a few of the former Demon Queen's stories.

"Hrm," Yuri grumbled, his thoughts already turning back to the same heavy topics that had plagued him during the meal. "We definitely need to do something about the other Boxes," he muttered.

"Well, you heard Lord Von Bielefelt. They're looking for them. The Boxes have been missing for a long time, so it'll take a while to find them," Murata pointed out. "And the one in Big Cimaron's hands will be an even bigger problem. I doubt they'll just give it up, and trying to force them to do so will lead to war."

Just hearing the last word made Yuri twitch, but he shook his head. "You heard what else he said - even if they find some sign of the other Boxes, they might not have anyone to send. I've been thinking," Yuri said, ignoring Murata's unhappy sigh, "that maybe we should go looking for the Boxes ourselves."

"I knew I wasn't going to like it," Murata muttered, "but this is just too much."

Yuri frowned at him. "I'm serious. I just don't think there's much I can do here. I don't know anything about actually running a kingdom, everyone is too busy to spend time explaining it to me, and they've managed fine until now," he insisted. "I'm not needed here, but looking for the Boxes is something I can do. If anything, I'm the best person to do it, if another one is unleashed!"

"But as you pointed out yourself, you don't anything about this world," Murata argued back, "and I wouldn't know where to start looking either. There's no way this won't end badly."

"If that's the problem, I could help you out."

Both the boys jumped as another voice intruded into their discussion. A tall man stepped out of the shadows, an easy smirk on his face.

His vivid orange hair instantly caught Yuri's attention, and he stared at it in surprise.

"You're that soldier, from Caloria," Murata realized.

"Huh? From Caloria?" Yuri repeated, looking between the other two in surprise.

"Well, you probably don't remember, but he was dressed as a Small Cimaron soldier and helped us after you closed the Box," Murata explained.

"So he's from Small Cimaron?" Yuri said dubiously.

"Nah, I'm part of the Demon Tribe," the man assured them. "Josak Gurrier. I take on special assignments under Lord Von Voltaire's orders."

"You mean spying," Murata clarified. "You were also that old woman who helped us at the wharf."

Yuri did a doubletake in surprise, but Josak only laughed. "You're quick!" he said. "Wasn't my usual style, but a pretty good job, right?"

Ah his laughed faded away down the shadowed corridor, Josak's expression became suddenly serious.

"But like I said, if it's information about the Boxes you need, I could help you out," he said. His gaze was somehow challenging as it settled on Yuri.

"If you know something, please tell us!" Yuri said, squaring his shoulders. "I want to retrieve the Boxes and make sure nothing like Caloria happens again."

"Well, it just so happens that my last assignment was about that very subject," Josak drew out, smirking again. "And it was a success, sort of. You see, there are some very serious rumors about a Box being located in Francia."

"Just rumors?" Murata said, his expression coolly calculating.

"Not just," Josak winked. "It seems Big Cimaron has sent troops there, too. Seems like they certainly believe those rumors. And some of Francia's neighbors have been seen visiting a little too persistently, almost as if they're trying to convince Francia of something, ever since about three weeks back..."

"When the Box was opened in Caloria," Murata said, looking thoughtful. "They're worried, now that they've seen what the Boxes can do."

Josak nodded, looking satisfied.

"But that just leaves one question," Murata continued. "Why are you telling us this? Why not tell Lord Von Voltaire?"

"Hey, don't be like that!" Josak protested, waving his hands disarmingly. "I told His Excellency, but he's already busy, you know? He said he's got no one to spare and ordered me to another assignment." He shrugged in a 'what can you do' way. "But I think His Majesty has a right to know."

Murata met his meaningful smirk with a placid smile, but the implications flew straight over Yuri's head.

"Thank you for telling me," Yuri said sincerely, and promptly turned to go. "Come on, Murata. Let's get some supplies and head out."

For the first time, Josak's composure cracked. "You're just going to go like that?" he demanded.

Far more used to Yuri's methods after three years of friendship, Murata only shook his head. "Do you even know where Francia is, Shibuya?"

"No, but I'm sure other people do," Yuri replied, unconcerned. "If we tell them that's where we're going, they'll be able to take us."

"Others?" Murata repeated.

Yuri nodded. "Yeah. I mean, we're either going to have to catch a ride or stowaway, right?"

Josak made a sort of disbelieving choking sound, but Murata just pushed up his glasses. "I suppose we could borrow a couple horses, but can you even ride one?"

"Maybe," Yuri allowed. "I'm not sure."

"Hey, listen," Josak began, stepping up to his king, "I don't think that's such a good idea. I mean, Big Cimaron's going to be there, and Francia might be peaceful, but it's still deep in human lands. There's no telling what might happen to you. You should take someone along to help you."

"It's not like they're going to know who we are," Yuri pointed out. "I'll disguise myself, and Murata's still all blonde. We'll just be two guys. No one's going to pay any attention to us. If we bring someone, that'll make it more likely that we'll get caught. And like everyone's saying, there aren't any people to spare."

He sounded inexplicably reasonable about a completely unreasonable venture. "Yeah, that's... true, but I'm very good at blending in, and I'm pretty handy with a sword, not to mention I have the inside scoop. So why don't you take me along?" Josak suggested, finally giving up on subtlety.

"But you said Gwendal already gave you another job. It must be something important," Yuri blinked up at him innocently.

Murata watched with a sadistic sort of amusement as Josak tried to figure out how to turn things around. He had probably expected Yuri to just use his position as Demon King to pull him away from whatever Gwendal had set him to. He might even have lied about being given another job, but couldn't back out now. He had probably also had personal reasons for telling Yuri about the Box at all. Murata couldn't quite begin to guess at what Josak aimed to get, but he supposed the information was probably good, if only because it would be too easy to check with Gwendal.

For his part, Yuri looked thoughtful, then determined. "I think I know who to ask," he declared. "For a ride, anyway."

Unified in the face of Yuri's determination, Josak and Murata exchanged a look.

This could not possibly end well.

~.~.~

This one time, I'm gonna ignore the dub. I can't even understand what Hube and Nicola named their kid there. Naturally, the Ernst/El thing only works in Japanese because L and R are the same there.

I'm not sure if it's obvious, but Josak got ordered away from Francia for the simple reason that Conrad would recognize him. He probably did get assigned another job. I think you can make your own assumptions about his reasons for telling Yuri.

In any case, now I'm going to try extorting for reviews. Let's say... two reviews, or else I'll hold the next chapter hostage... indefinitely.


	7. II-5 In the dusk

~.~.~

Title: A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Yuri gathers some friends and sets off on a trip. Also, misery loves company.

~.~.~

**Part II, Chapter 5**

_In the dusk  
_

~.~.~

"Oh, Your Majesty," Celi exclaimed, her deep green eyes widening in surprise, "I didn't expect to see you again tonight. Did you miss me that much?" Her smile turned playfully suggestive.

"You said you're leaving tonight, right?" Yuri said, too focused to pay attention to her flirting.

"Mm? Well, yes," Celi replied, a little puzzled. "I'm going in search of free love. I'll be setting out from a port in Anissina's territory. There's a special private ship waiting for me."

"Do you mind if we come along?" Yuri said.

"Oh, how scandalous!" Celi cheered. "Can it be you've already fallen for me, Your Majesty? But that just won't do! That's definitely forbidden!"

Normally, Yuri would have protested at least a little, but even a beautiful woman pulling him into a rather intimate embrace wasn't enough to deter him once he had made up his mind. Ignoring the way her arms were wrapped around him (and certain other parts were pressed against him), Yuri looked Celi firmly in the eye.

"We need to get to Francia. It seems like there's a Box there," he explained. "Murata and I are going to retrieve it."

That stopped even Celi short. She stared at Yuri with a strange expression, then shook her head and pulled him inside her chambers, Murata slipping in after them. The rooms were almost as opulent as Yuri's, but surprisingly bare of anything personal. There was a notable lack of luggage, half-packed or otherwise, and even clothing. It seemed difficult to imagine that a woman like Celi would travel lightly.

Wolfram had been leaning standing beside one large window, and his eyes widened in surprise as he watched them enter, before narrowing in suspicion.

"How does Your Majesty know the location of a Forbidden Box?" Celi asked after the door had been closed. Her voice was still light, but something had definitely shifted. "Did you receive a special insight? Or has the voice of the Great One been heard again after so long?"

Murata's eyes narrowed faintly at her last words, his chin tilting down in thought. But Yuri simply shook his head.

"Nothing like that. A guy called Josak told us," he explained.

"Oh, that young man?" Celi smiled, though there was a faint shadow behind it. Wolfram's expression also darkened. "He is very knowledgeable, isn't he? He always knows the best gossip~!"

"That's why we're going to go. And I was hoping you could give us a ride out of the capital, at least," Yuri said. "I'm sorry to trouble you, but I don't know anyone else to ask."

"But it's dangerous for Your Majesty and Your Eminence to go alone," Celi said, pursing her lips.

"Yeah, apparently Big Cimaron is headed there too," Murata informed her, looking up with a smile. He had a hunch that would mean something to her and to Wolfram, and it seemed he was right, judging by the faint change in their expressions.

"So we have to get there as quickly as possible," Yuri added his interpretation of the situation.

"I can see you're determined," Celi said. Her smile was faint and a bit melancholy. "If I don't help you, you'll just find another way, won't you?"

"That's right, we'll help," Wolfram spoke up for the first time. His statement drew surprised looks from everyone, together with a certain degree of disbelief from Yuri.

"Oh, Wolfie, does that mean...?" Celi wondered, pressing one hand over her mouth. Her expression was surprised, but understanding.

"That's right, Mother. I'm going with them. It's my duty to protect the king, right?" Wolfram said. His words were somewhat undermined by the clearly disdainful look he threw Yuri. "And this wimp will need all the help he can get."

"How am I wimp?" Yuri wondered irritably. He and Wolfram exchanged glares, making Murata sigh. They were certainly off to a great start.

~.~.~

As they gathered at Celi's carriage, the former Demon Queen turned to look at them seriously.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Your Majesty?" she asked. "You don't need to rush off on your own. You could wait and ask Gunter and my Gwendal to help you. Or even just wait until you're a little more used to this world."

"I don't think we have time for that," Yuri replied, shaking his head. He had already considered those options, though probably not as seriously as he should have. "It's okay! Murata helped me write a note to Gunter, so they won't have to worry."

'Too bad I won't be able to see his face when he reads it,' Murata thought wistfully, hiding his smirk as he climbed into the carriage. He had been the one to write the note, since Yuri couldn't read or write the language of the Demon Kingdom, and he had put quite a bit of thought into the contents.

Yuri climbed in after him and, catching the tail end of Murata's devious expression, stared at him in suspicion.

Lingering outside a moment longer, Wolfram and Celi shared a long look.

"You know why I have to go, Mother," Wolfram said quietly.

"I know," Celi smiled sadly, reaching out to smooth away a stray lock of his bright hair. "But please, just be careful. I couldn't bear it if..."

He nodded sharply and offered his hand to help her up into the carriage. Climbing in after her, he waved to the driver and firmly shut the door.

As the carriage set off, the windows carefully covered to conceal its four passengers, Celi turned a surprisingly serious look on Yuri.

"First, we'll head to the Von Karbelnikoff territory," she explained. "My friend Anissina's family rules there, and she has arranged for a private departure for my ship. We'll sail leisurely along the coast for a bit, then head out to sea. I was originally planning to go to Vandavia Island first, but with things being so tense with Big Cimaron, Gwendal forbid it. So I have to head to Hildyard instead."

She pouted, making Wolfram sigh. "It's for the best. What if a Big Cimaron patrol detained you at Vandavia? It would be a disaster," he reasoned, frowning.

"It's so sweet of you to worry, Wolfie!" Cecilie trilled, reaching out to hug him again.

'Oh, so he was worried,' Yuri thought, nodding to himself. 'I see. That's sweet.'

"Is this Hill-yard place on the way to Francia at all?" he wondered, leaning toward Murata.

"Not really," Murata replied quietly. "It's to the east, about three days by boat. Francia borders Cavalcade, over to the west. They're all trading partners though."

"Oh, don't worry, Your Majesty," Celi said, having apparently heard their discussion. "You're not going with me! Once we're out at sea, we'll be meeting up with an acquaintance of mine. He's a merchant heading for Francia. He often deals in rare items, so he'll be able to help you out."

"That's great!" Yuri said sincerely, returning her bright smile with one of his own.

"It is," Murata agreed, pushing up his glasses. "But how did you manage to arrange all that? And when? I don't think even the former Demon Queen could coordinate all that in just the time since Shibuya told you his intent."

Wolfram glared at him, but Murata refused to back down, just continuing to smile placidly. For her part, Celi seemed unconcerned by his questions.

"You're right, even I'm not quite that amazing!" she laughed. "I arranged this much earlier. You see, I already knew about the Box in Francia. Gwendal told me and asked for my help in at least keeping track of it, if not retrieving it outright. We do understand how serious this situation is."

Her knowing smile made Yuri flush a little. "Sorry. I guess I should've had more faith in everyone," he mumbled, looking down in embarrassment.

"It's alright. I know it must be hard for you to depend on people you've just met, who all seem to preoccupied with other things," Celi told Yuri comfortingly. Reaching out, she laid her hand over one of his, squeezing gently. "And I guess it's better to be too decisive than to be too hesitant. I'm glad to know you're willing to act for the sake of our kingdom."

Yuri ducked his head, missing the way Celi's smile became troubled.

"Not to mention that, if things go badly, you will probably the only one who can stop the Box from rampaging," she added quietly.

"Let's try to avoid that," Murata said.

"Of course! I'm sure you'll be able to solve this handily, Your Majesty, Your Eminence~" Celi beamed at them again. "But since you'll be going in in secret, you'll need disguises!"

She seemed thrilled by the prospect.

Everyone jumped as Yuri suddenly surged to his feet. "I'm not wearing a dress!" he yelled, gesturing sharply.

Ducking under his sweeping arm, Murata tried to hide his laughter, while Wolfram and Celi could only stare in surprise. 'That's quite a reflex reaction,' Murata mused, failing to smother his smirk. 'You must have been very traumatized, Shibuya.'

Celi was the first to regain her composure, pouting. "Oh, that's too bad," she began, turning instead toward her son.

"I won't either!" Wolfram declared quickly, subconsciously huddling back against the carriage door in an effort to get out of her reach.

"But Wolfie, you'd look so lovely in one of my dresses!" Celi protested.

"It's out of the question!" Wolfram shot back.

"Ah, but you're the most likely to be recognized, Lord Von Bielefelt," Murata spoke up, his lips still twitching with barely suppressed mirth. "You definitely need a good disguise."

The look Yuri shot him clearly asked how Murata could possibly betray all of mankind like that. When Murata continued to snicker under his breath and failed to show the slightest hint of remorse, Yuri could only turn to Wolfram with pity.

The young nobleman had failed to escape his mother's tender grasp and was once again enfolded in a tight embrace.

"Mother! Stop this at once! Mother!"

His protests fell on deaf ears.

~.~.~

Yuri peered at Wolfram's slumped figure in concern. Not even Wolfram's severe seasickness had been enough to deter his mother from her efforts to "disguise" him, and Yuri's own attempts to mitigate the torture had limited success at best, so by the time they were transferred onto the merchant vessel of Stefan Fanberlain, affectionately called Fanfan, Wolfram had been decked out in feminine if practical dress, which had apparently been meant for Celi's friend Anissina.

The only concession Celi had ultimately allowed, after much protesting from both Wolfram and Yuri, had been to let Wolfram keep his pants on under the dress's long skirt.

(Of course, that wasn't to say that Yuri had gotten off scot-free either. Celi had forced him into what looked like a belly-dancer outfit that she insisted was meant for men, really. Murata had gotten off light, with only a long tunic and an Aladdin hat. Clearly, there was no Justice in either world.)

"Are you okay?" Yuri asked, crouching down beside Wolfram.

"Did you come to mock me," Wolfram muttered tonelessly.

"No way," Yuri said, sighing. "Believe me, I feel your pain. My mom's just as bad, you know."

"Your mom?" Wolfram repeated, his brow furrowing thoughtfully.

"I think she always wanted a daughter," Yuri confided in a hushed tone. "When I was a kid, she'd always buy these cutesy dresses and make me wear them. I was so confused for a while... And just before I left, she got this frilly pink apron and kept insisting that I needed to wear it so we could bond by cooking together..."

Despite his complaints, the aggravation in his tone was light and almost fond. Wolfram's miserable expression softened as he watched Yuri reminisce.

"Mother never really tried to force me into a dress before. It's probably your fault for giving her ideas," Wolfram said, shooting Yuri a sharp but short-lived glare. "But you saw what she's like - going after any good-looking man that came into her sight. And when she realized that I took after her in looks, she decided that I was clearly meant to follow her footsteps and become the next great seducer of men."

He huffed, indignant, while Yuri laughed awkwardly. 'So here it's okay between two guys?' he wondered.

They fell into a strangely comfortable silence, watching Francia's port city loom closer. The ship would arrive shortly, and they could already make out the strange shape of the buildings along the shoreline. Yuri smiled, feeling just a bit excited about seeing an entirely new country. It looked peaceful and exotic.

"Your mother..." Wolfram began, "you miss her, right? She's still in that other world."

"She's still on Earth," Yuri confirmed. Tilting back, he looked up at the clear blue sky. "Actually, Nicola really reminded me of her. I do miss her, but everyone's got to leave home some time, right? And maybe I'll be able to see her again."

"You can't go back to the other world?" Wolfram asked, a frown beginning to form on his face.

Yuri shrugged. "Well, Murata and I managed to come here by ourselves. But he said he's not sure we could go the other direction. This world is where our souls belong. We were meant to come here. Going back... It seems like only the Great One can really open the gate between worlds."

"Even knowing that, you still came here?"

"Yeah," Yuri said simply, smiling. "I decided to become the Demon King." Looking up, he met Wolfram's eyes firmly. "I'm sorry for being so childish before. I really am grateful for your support."

Wolfram looked away, huffing half-heartedly. He was probably still seasick, Yuri decided.

"Ah, there you are," Fanderlain called out, coming up behind them. He passed a critical eye over Wolfram's face, seemingly satisfied that the young lord wasn't about to hurl chunks the next moment. Murata followed behind him, pushing up his glasses in that suspicious way of his. Yuri lifted one eyebrow, silently asking what the two of them had been discussing, but Murata only smiled and shrugged in a 'you don't need to worry about it' way.

"As you can see, we'll be arriving shortly," the merchant explained. "So lets get you all ready. Remember, we'll be keeping it vague, to give ourselves more leeway. You're traveling with me, don't explain why or where from. And for goodness sake, don't say we're there for the Box."

Yuri nodded attentively, fixing his turban-headscarf. Despite his assurances that he would be able to mask his double-black colors quite well, Fanberlain had insisted on covering as much of his hair as possible. Feeling a bit miffed, Yuri made sure to cast his illusion while Fanberlain was looking away. When the merchant glanced back, he visibly started at Yuri's suddenly brown bangs and eyes, making the boy grin.

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Wolfram pulled up the shawl his mother had forced on him as part of his costume. Once wrapped around his head, it covered his bright blonde hair and helped hide his delicate features. Nodding in approval, Fanberlain held out a parasol to Wolfram.

"It's a present from dear Celi," he explained. "It's actually quite a special piece..."

"Does it have a sword inside?" Yuri wondered peering at it.

Fanberlain blinked in surprise. "How did you know?" he wondered.

"Seriously?" Yuri muttered to himself, while Wolfram twisted the handle and unsheathed several inches of the blade, before nodding in grudging approval.

"Looks like we're all set," Murata declared cheerfully, plopping the Aladdin hat on his head and handily covering where his black roots had grown out. 'Let's see how long these disguises last,' he added to himself. 'And who will blow it first.'

~.~.~

Hey, I've been thinking, is Josak his first or last name? His name is listed as Gurrier Josak, in that order, but then Hube is listed as Griesela Gegenhuber in that order too, and Hube is definitely his first name. So... Well, everyone else goes by their first name, so I'm assuming Josak is his first name after all. :/


	8. II-6 What is strength

~.~.~

Title: A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Yuri and company arrive in Francia, and he meets some familiar (to us) faces.

~.~.~

**Part II, Chapter 6**

_What is strength (I)  
_

~.~.~

"Alright, we're here," Fanberlain said, looking back at the procession that trailed after him through Francia's streets. His eyes flicked between them in a quick head count. There were the three boys from the Demon Tribe, gawking in various degrees but keeping mostly in line. There were his men, bringing the goods they would present to Francia's king, loaded in a large cart - just in case they needed to transport some bulk object back to their ship.

Nodding to himself, he turned to the Demon Tribesmen. "Just let me do the talking. There is a certain way of doing things here," he cautioned them.

Yuri forced himself to pull his eyes away from the Francian castle and acknowledged Fanberlain's instructions. Behind him, Wolfram tilted his parasol a little to watch the merchant, and Murata tilted his chin thoughtfully, light glinting off his glasses.

"The king of Francia, Antoine Jean Pierre, has a fondness for rare objects, which we'll be using to gain audience with him," Fanberlain explained. "Fortunately, we arrived ahead of whoever Big Cimaron sent, though we probably have a few days at most."

Yuri nodded in understanding. "But what's up with all these other people?" he asked, looking around the throngs of exotic and downright bizarre individuals that milled around them. "They look like they're not from around here."

"They're all from other human nations," Fanberlain said, frowning a little. "They must be foreign delegations. They're probably here for the same reason we are."

"Competitions, huh?" Wolfram muttered, tilting his parasol down again to hide his face and gripping the handle tightly.

"Don't worry! You've got a great advantage on your side," Fanberlain said with a roguish smirk. "My amazing skills!"

Putting on his best salesman smile, he advanced through the crowd toward the palace gates. As Yuri and Wolfram watched with interest and grudging respect, he quickly charmed the guards and the officials who manned the gate. In what seemed like no time at all, he waved to the Demon Tribesman, beckoning the closer.

Together, the four of them slipped into the palace.

"Wow, we made it inside," Yuri said brightly. He looked around the hallways they were lead through with clear admiration, especially toward the strange art pieces (?) that decorated them. "Way to go, Mr. Fanfan!"

Smirking, Fanberlain smoothed back his hair and adjusted his cravat. "It's just the first step. We've only made it into the waiting room, as it were."

Leading them into a large, airy gallery, the palace servant they had been following bowed low and said, "Please enjoy the royal collection. I will inform His Majesty of your presence. However, he has been feeling ill recently and may be unable to welcome you himself."

"Understandable! We are happy just getting a glimpse of His Majesty's collection. He has exquisite taste," Fanberlain agreed, smiling smoothly. Watching the servant depart, he added, "And now we wait."

"Is the king going to meet with us?" Yuri wondered.

"Maybe," Fanberlain allowed. "It depends on a few things. In any case, leave it to me. Just enjoy the sights. This really is an amazing collection."

He clapped Yuri on the shoulder and headed deeper into the gallery, leaving Yuri look after him with a somewhat dubious expression. 'Is it really okay to just hang around here and wait?' Yuri thought. He glanced around at his companions, but they seemed to have taken Fanberlain's advice and moved to study the art pieces (?) on display.

"Don't get so worked up, Shibuya," Murata suggested, not looking away from the vase (?) he was peering at. "Let him work his stuff. Hm, I think I recognize this thing..."

Starting to feel rebuffed and sulky, Yuri glanced at Wolfram without much hope. Indeed, the blonde seemed to be fascinated by one of the paintings. "These brush strokes are marvelous," he could be heard muttering to himself.

Yuri sighed.

Unlike his companions, he couldn't look at the exhibits for more than a few seconds before his thoughts circled back to the Boxes, to Big Cimaron on their way to Francia, to what would happen if they were too late. He paced back and forth restlessly, his thoughts churning uneasily, until he began to get dizzy.

As the gallery spun alarmingly, Yuri was forced to bend over, hands on his knees, and take deep breaths. He stared at the polished floor between his shoes.

'I can't just wait here,' he thought. 'I'm not just going to let myself get sent off to look at some trinkets. I'm going too!'

Nodding to himself, Yuri turned around once more and stalked off in the direction Fanberlain had gone. Murata watched him go out of the corner of his eye. 'It's got to be hard for you, Shibuya, but you're going to have to learn patience at some point,' he thought, turning back to the art piece in front of him.

~.~.~

The gallery was larger than Yuri had expected, and it didn't take long for him to get completely lost. Coming to an intersection, he looked in each direction with exactly the same lack of recognition.

"I think that tapestry might be familiar," Yuri muttered to himself, looking at it closely. "Argh, I can't even tell where I came from, much less where he went!"

And even worse, he was really starting to get hungry. Placing one hand on his empty belly, Yuri drooped sadly. Even the bizarre artworks that lined the hallways seemed to be mocking him.

His head snapped up as he glimpsed a shadow move from the corner of his eye. Turning, Yuri brightened at the faint sound of footsteps. 'It's Mister Fanfan!' Yuri thought joyously. 'I'm saved!' But before he could make his way toward the other presence, another thought occurred to Yuri, stopping him short. 'What if it's someone else?'

Yuri's brow furrowed in thought. 'It might be one of those people from outside, from another country. They're after the Box too. But what are all those other countries like anyway? I don't even know why they want the Box. Are they like those Cimaron places? Or do they just want to avoid what happened in Caloria? I need to find out.'

Coming to a decision, he nodded to himself.

One hand up in a seal, Yuri took a deep breath and carefully drew on his magic. What he had said was true - as far as using magic went, he was still a beginner. All he could reliably do was temporarily fool the eyes. But he understood the theory behind concealment.

Wrapping his magic around himself, Yuri carefully took a step in the direction of the other presence. His footsteps were distinctly muffled, and he smiled proudly. 'Nice! This should at least make it harder to notice me,' he thought.

He stuck close to the wall as he made his way to where he thought the other party would be. Pausing at a corner in the hallway, he could see two shadows against the far wall.

"... be patient," one of them was saying, the low voice indicating an older man. His shadow shifted as he turned away, and the rest of his words were too quiet to hear.

Frowning, Yuri tried to edge closer. Carefully, he peered around the corner.

In the next instance, the other shadow moved. Before Yuri even realized what was happening, a sword was poised at his neck, just short of drawing blood.

Yuri's eyes moved up the gleaming blade, taking in the man tall, powerful man holding it. His clothes were simple and functional, all in subdued, dark colors. His face was obscured by a mask. With some surprise, Yuri realized that only one eye was visible through the mask.

"A child?" the swordsman noted, his single eye narrowing.

'He noticed me so easily,' Yuri thought frantically, his heart pounding, acutely aware of the blade at his neck. 'Did I mess up? It should have worked...'

Shaking away his own surprise, the swordsman's companion came up behind him and laid a restraining arm on his shoulder. "That's enough," the second man said. "I'm sorry about that. My bodyguard is very... dedicated."

As the swordsman pulled back, Yuri slumped in relief and smiled tentatively at the other man. "Um, that's okay. I guess I surprised him," Yuri said. The swordsman was still watching him, something distrustful and calculating in his mostly-hidden expression. "I was just looking for Mister Fanfan," Yuri hastened to add, taking a reflexive step backwards.

"Fanfan?" the nicer man repeated, stroking his goatee thoughtfully. "Oh, you mean Fanberlain. Well, I'm afraid he's gone and vanished. I imagine he's using his considerable charm and persuasive skill on the staff to get that appointment with the king."

Yuri slumped. 'I'm really starting to feel like an idiot. A useless one,' he thought with a sigh. 'How uncool.'

"Are you one of his employees?" the man asked, then smiled. "Oh, do forgive me. I haven't introduced myself. I'm Heathcrife, a merchant from Hildyard, here representing Cavalcade." And to Yuri's shock, he took off his hat... along with all his hair. His bald head gleamed in the afternoon sunlight.

"I... I..." Yuri stammered, surprised and uncertain. 'Name, name,' he thought frantically. "I'm Ernst," he blurted out the first male name he could think of. The swordsman behind Heathcrife narrowed his single eye, his glare piercing into Yuri. 'He knows I'm lying,' Yuri thought frantically. But to his surprise, the man only shook his head and turned away.

"Well met," Heathcrife said lightly, replacing his hat and hair. "You look quite young. You must have just started with Fanderlain. He's one of my best trading partners, but I don't think I've seen you before. Is this your first time in Francia?"

"Oh, I'm just... traveling with him," Yuri said, trying to stay vague, the way Fanderlain had told them to. 'I wish Murata was here,' he thought. 'What would he do in this situation.' Trying to imitate his friend, Yuri tilted his chin down and smiled. "How come you're representing Cavalcade? They're Francia's neighbor, right? Don't they have an embassy here or something?"

"Embassy?" Heathcrife repeated, and Yuri wondered if they even had things like that in the other world. The older man's expression became a little strained and saddened. "I am here regarding a rather difficult matter. It's precisely because Cavalcade is Francia's neighbor that they asked for a third party to negotiate, as it were."

"That makes sense," Yuri agreed, nodding. "What kind of problem is it?"

Heathcrife studied him thoughtfully, making Yuri fidget a little. "I imagine it's the same reason Fanderlain is here," he finally said. "Where did you say you hail from? If you don't mind me saying, your features are quite... unusual."

'Features? Unusual?' Yuri thought dumbly. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his bangs and they appeared to still be brown. He was sure the man hadn't see through his illusion.

Yuri laughed nervously. "I was born really far from here. You could say it's like a whole other world," he said.

"I guess some things you hear about even in another world," Heathcrife said. "For example, this amazing collection. The king of Francia has truly amassed many amazing objects."

"I guess so," Yuri said, glancing around. The sudden conversation change confused him, and he couldn't quite shake the feeling that Heathcrife had seen through his disguise. But the man wasn't yelling anything about the Demon Tribe, which Yuri had surmised would have been the usual reaction.

'More to the point, I've got to remember what I was trying to do,' he reminded himself, his expression shifting to determination. 'I need to find out if he's after the Box and why.'

"We heard about what happened a few weeks ago, too," Yuri said suddenly and with a little too much force to be subtle. Heathcrife glanced at him in surprise. "The earthquake in Caloria, I mean."

"Yes, that was a tragedy. Even though it... ended, I hear that resettlement has been difficult. It's like the land itself has become cursed," Heathcrife said, tilting his hat down gravely. "The tidal wave from that reached even Hildyard and here in Francia. My little girl was so scared. We were lucky to be further inland when it happened, but..." His mouth twisted, and Yuri had a feeling that Heathcrife had also seen a scene of devastation that would remain in his memory forever.

"It was terrible," Yuri agreed, glaring at a painting of a mermaid. "Something like that can never be allowed to happen again."

Heathcrife smiled at him, and again Yuri felt like he had just blown his disguise. "Everyone has an obligation to make sure it doesn't," he said. He glanced behind him, toward his bodyguard, and the two men shared a long look.

~.~.~

The best answer to last chapter's question came from _tsume_. As they correctly pointed out, the original uses Japanese naming order, with the family name first. Usually it's easy to tell because the last name is followed by "-kyo" ("Sir/Lord"), but guys like Josak make it much harder because they're commoners. I guess in some cases, the translators simply got confused and didn't flip the names. Yaaaay.

So, hey, I was watching episode 77, and man, the Originators/Great One lie, like a cheap rug! He "created" Julia's soul? But that's bullshit. We know from Julia and Yuri that Keys are tied to souls, which I guess get reborn in the same bloodline (no one states this, but the link between "Julia had the Key", "Yuri has Julia's soul" and "Yuri has the Key" is made clear). So then, how can Julia's soul have been created after the Boxes were sealed? It couldn't. The Great One is just lying while he's talking to Yuri. Which is kind of psychological warfare, I guess.

Not that this is in any way important, but I thought it was an interesting thing. Of course, the entire ending is anime-original, so...


	9. II-7 What is strength II

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Hube is a good guy. Also, stupid reckless move count: 4.

~.~.~

**Part II, Chapter 7**

_What is strength (II)  
_

~.~.~

_Throwing open the ornate double doors, Heathcrife strode into the large audience chamber. He ignored the hired guards who moved to block the doorway behind him._

_"Vuillon!" Heathcrife yelled. "Vuillon, where are you?!"_

_"There's no need to shout," a voice called from the other end of the chamber. The gaudy lights of Hildyard's pleasure district, filtering in through the tall windows, barely illuminated the man's obese figure._

_Standing next to him was another man, his face concealed by a mask. One of his hands rested on the sword at his waist. The other was firmly gripping the shoulder of a young girl._

_"Papa!" the girl cried, trying to run toward Heathcrife, only to be held back._

_"Beatrice!" Heathcrife said, torn between relief at his daughter's unharmed state and worry for her position. "It'll be okay, dear. Just be brave!" He only hoped he wasn't lying. This was like that disastrous trip, when they were attacked by pirates. But this time, he couldn't expect a Big Cimaron vessel to swoop in to save them._

_"Yes, little girl, everything will just fine, as long as your daddy cooperates," Vuillon agreed, sneering at Heathcrife. "You see, he's been causing me quite a bit of trouble, kicking up all kinds of a fuss about some fools who were too weak to hold on to their own holdings and are now trying to cry foul. It's bad for business. I would like all of that to stop, then we can all go home happy and... healthy."_

_"You swindled them! Half those bets were rigged! The other half, you blackmailed," Heathcrife shot back, his usually calm face twisting in growing anger._

_"Yes," Vuillon agreed without a hint of shame, "just like I'm blackmailing you now. Or do you not care for your daughter's life?"_

_He shot a meaningful look at the man holding the little girl in place. But the man didn't react. What could be seen of his expression was pensive as he looked down at Beatrice._

_"Why don't you give him a little demonstration?" Vuillon snapped, gesturing agitatedly with one beefy hand. His meaning was clear._

_"No! Let her go!" Heathcrife yelled, taking a step forward. He wasn't a fighter, but he would fight to the death for his little girl, if it came to that._

_But to his surprise, Beatrice matched him, stumbling a step toward her father as the masked man pushed her forward. For a moment, everyone froze._

_Then, Beatrice was running toward her father, and he toward her. Heathcrife dropped to his knees to sweep her up in a tight embrace, smoothing back her hair and kissing her forehead._

_"What are you doing?!" Vuillon demanded, finding his voice again. "What are you doing, you dog?!"_

_Instead of replying, the masked man dashed forward and drew his sword. It sang through the air, passing over Heathcrife's head to strike down the guards that had rushed to their master's aid. Despite outnumbering the lone swordsman, they collapsed in moments._

_"Even I haven't fallen so low," the masked man growled. His grip on his sword tightened as he quickly moved toward the doors. "Let's go!" he barked to Heathcrife._

_The merchant didn't hesitate in scooping up his daughter and running after the swordsman. Even as Vuillon yelled for more guards behind them, the masked man was cutting down the reinforcements that stood in their way._

_Their flight out of the mansion was a confused jumbled, where all Heathclife could do was keep running, holding Beatrice close, while the masked man carved a path through Vuillon's legions of guards. They burst outside, but kept on running, ducking into one alley after another in an attempt to lose their pursuers._

_"Over here! Hube, over here!" a young high-pitched voice called out among the chaos. Heathcrife's eyes finally found the speaker - a little girl, dressed in tattered clothes. She was waving to them from an open cellar door._

_The masked man's single eye widened as he stopped short. He hesitated, but only for a moment before heading toward her, Heathcrife following._

_"I told you to get away and hide," he told the girl, his voice failing to carry the harsh disapproval he intended._

_"I did!" the girl protested, even as she stood aside to let him jump into the cellar. Heathcrife followed, ducking into the darkness, and the girl hastily shut doors behind them. Outside, troops of guards thundered past. Heathcrife scarcely dared to breathe, only praying silently and rubbing Beatrice's back in steady soothing motions._

_Finally, the shouting and footsteps faded away._

_Moving slowly, the girl uncovered a lantern and in the flickering light examined the mask man. Now that they were no longer running, Heathcrife could see that he was worse for wear from his many battles._

_"Are you okay, Hube?" the girl asked, reaching out tentatively. "You're bleeding..."_

_"It's fine," the man, Hube, said quietly. "Don't concern yourself with me. I can't fall to such lowly opponents."_

_"Papa? Are we safe now?" Beatrice asked quietly, pulling away from his embrace. Her eyes flickered over to Hube and the other girl, who smiled at her._

_"See, I told you Hube's a good guy," the other girl said, making Beatrice smile in return._

_Noticing her father's confusion, Beatrice explained, "Greta was there at the mansion too. She said I'd be okay because her friend would help us. He's a good guy." Beatrice nodded to herself, wiping away her drying tears. Greta beamed at her words._

_"You're wrong," Hube said quietly. "I'm not a good man at all. I just haven't fallen that far."_

_"You seem like a fine man to me," Heathcrife told him. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If there is anything I can do to repay you, just name it."_

_Hube's single eye met his, glinting in the flickering light of the lantern. "Take care of Greta," he said. "I'll cover for you, so just take the children and go. Look after her, that's all I ask."_

_"No, Hube!" Greta protested, turning back to him. "You can't leave me! Please! We'll all get away together. This place has another way out!"_

_She gestured with her lantern deeper into the cellar, and indeed Heathcrife caught a glimpse of another open trapdoor. It would have normally been concealed, but she must have left it open. 'A smuggling tunnel,' Heathcrife realized. 'So that's why she hid here.'_

_"The young lady is right," Heathcrife agreed, making his way over to the kneeling man. Just as Greta had said, he was bleeding, a sight that made Heathcrife faintly nauseous. He only hoped the wound wasn't too serious. Crouching, he slung Hube's arm over his shoulder and hauled him to his feet. "Come along now. We should make haste."_

_Greta smiled brightly, dashing away the tears that had begun to gather in her eyes. Her hand closed around Beatrice's, and the two girls hurried ahead to light the way._

_"Just leave me," Hube hissed. His expression was still mostly hidden by his mask, but now Heathcrife could see something very raw and very pained in the man._

_"Nonsense," he said, hauling him along toward the smuggling tunnel. "I've been looking for a good bodyguard. The world has become a very dangerous place, and I can't bear the thought of my little girl in danger ever again. You're a good man. I can trust you to with her."_

_"I'm not," Hube repeated, shaking his head._

_"You can be," Heathcrife told him. "You didn't let her down."_

_Greta looked back over her shoulder, waving to them. They descended into the dark tunnel, following the two girls and the lantern they held._

~.~.~

"Hm," Murata drew out thoughtfully. "Well, I doubt he guessed that you're the Demon King, but he probably figure out everything else."

"What does that mean?" Yuri asked, his expression twisting in confusion. After a great deal of wandering, he had finally found Murata and relayed the entire story of his confusing encounter to him. Murata had looked annoyingly amused throughout.

"He's after the Box, and he was trying to find out if you were too," Murata explained. He seemed to have figured out what was going on with almost insulting ease. "Most people don't even know about the Boxes, so the fact that you clearly do and were very obviously fishing for information about them shows that you're not just some ordinary guy."

"I wasn't very obviously fishing," Yuri protested.

"You really were," Murata assured him, smirking. "Anyway, he probably also guessed that you don't actually work for Fanberlain. He probably assumed that you're representing some other country or at least some partner of Fanberlain's, to whom he plans to pass the Box after getting it out of Francia."

"I see," Yuri said. "But, does that mean we can trust him to help? I mean, he wants the same thing."

"Obviously not!" Wolfram declared, having made his way over to them. "We can't let any of the Boxes remain in human hands. They won't hesitate to use them on the Demon Kingdom!"

"I think he's a good person," Yuri said, thinking back on Heathcrife's smile and his genuine sadness.

"You've got absolutely no basis for thinking that," Wolfram countered testily. Yuri could only shrug.

A voice hailed them, and the three Demon Tribesmen turned to see Fanberlain approaching them. He smile hadn't changed since he had left them, and Yuri couldn't even begin to guess whether he had been successful or not.

"Good, you're all here," Fanberlain said, his eyes passing over the three boys in a quick headcount. "Let's get going."

"To see the king?" Yuri asked, brightening.

Fanberlain chuckled lightly. "Goodness, no! It's the end of the day, and the palace is being locked down. We need to leave and head to our lodgings for the night."

Yuri stared at him in surprise. "We're just... giving up?"

"No, we'll be back later," Fanberlain explained with a patient smile. "But the best thing we can do now is get a good meal and a full night's sleep. You're all growing boys, and dear Celi would be quite upset with me if I didn't take care of you properly."

At the mention of food, Yuri's long-neglected stomach growled loudly. He glanced at the other two boys in search of support, but both seemed accepting of Fanberlain's reasoning, no matter how grudgingly, in Wolfram's case.

Seeing Yuri slump in surrender, Fanderlain clapped his hands together and began to herd them toward the exit, almost like a team manager. Yuri couldn't help but feel a bit looked down upon.

~.~.~

Having gorged himself on Francia's exotic (to him) cuisine, Yuri took to sulking by the window of their specious but modest inn room.

The three Demon Tribesmen had been placed in the same room, for both protection and keeping a low profile. Wolfram had grumbled something about commoners, but after a meaningful look from Murata and a strange glance toward Yuri, had gone along with it. Now, he had taken to brooding in the corner opposite the door.

For his part, Murata had managed to beg a book off some other inn patron and lounged around reading without a care. Yuri uncharitably decided that the book must be a romance novel, of the sort he had occasionally caught Murata eying on the train. He felt rather annoyed by the amusement Murata was clearly deriving from his and Wolfram's foul moods.

Turning away with a huff, Yuri looked back out the window. Night was falling across the city, and the twilight streets were quickly emptying. There didn't seem to be much in the way of nightlife. If anything, no one seemed to want to linger out after dark.

Below, someone stepped out of the inn and began to carefully make their way down the street. Yuri's brow furrowed as he watched the figure's receding back. "Isn't that... Mister Fanfan?" he wondered. The man had changed out of his finely embroidered coat into something more inconspicuous, but Yuri recognized his blonde ponytail and his profile when he glanced behind him.

"Hey Murata," Yuri began, still watching the merchant make his way from the inn, "did Mister Fanfan say anything about going out tonight?"

Wolfram glanced at him sharply and quickly moved to stand next to Yuri by the window. His expression darkened.

"Not really," Murata said, not looking away from his book. "But I wouldn't be surprised if he was hard at work meeting with his contacts and stuff like that. He's definitely determined to get the Box."

"Yeah, but why wouldn't he say anything to us? We should have come too," Yuri muttered.

"Just calm down, Shibuya. Let him work," Murata said, finally glancing at his friend. "Or do you not trust him?"

"Of course he can't be trusted!" Wolfram cut in, turning away from the window agitatedly. "He's hiding something from us! He wants the Box for himself!"

"I wouldn't go that far. There could be plenty of other reasons," Murata said, sighing and shutting his book. He sat up and pushed up his glasses. "I agree he probably didn't tell us because he doesn't want us around for whatever meeting he's going to. But that's not strange, really. Let's be honest here, Shibuya's not exactly subtle or discreet."

"Hey, why are you singling me out?" Yuri protested.

"And besides that, Fanberlain has a connection and reputation with these people," Murata continued, ignoring Yuri's complaints. "They'll be more willing to help him, a man they know, a merchant without a national affiliation and a human besides."

"Wait, what does that have to do with anything?" Yuri wondered.

"Not many people would be willing to openly help the Demon Tribe," Murata said flatly.

"Which make this man all the more suspicious," Wolfram decided. "We can't trust him, especially when he clearly doesn't trust us. He's purposefully cutting us out! What guarantee do we have that he'll give the Box over to us after he acquires it?"

"I think we can trust him," Yuri contradicted, "but... I'm not sure we have time do do it his way. We have to do something."

"Like what?" Murata inquired with false helpfulness.

"Like break in and just take the Box!" Wolfram exclaimed. Murata stared at him in disbelief.

Yuri thought about and nodded. "Okay, we can try that," he agreed. Murata put a hand to his forehead and groaned quietly.

"We don't even know if the Box is in the palace," he tried to reason.

"Where else would it be?" Wolfram snorted.

"If it's not at the palace, then at least we'll know that much," Yuri said, in that horribly reasonable way. "That'll be a start. Maybe there isn't really a Box in this country at all, and everyone is mistaken. If we can find that out, it'll be a real plus. And as long as we don't get caught, Mister Fan-fan can keep doing his thing too."

"Yes, as long as we don't get caught," Murata said, trying to shame Yuri with his eyes and completely failing.

"It's not like they have much in the way of security," Wolfram said. "I watched as they locked up the place as we were leaving. It'll be child's play."

"Francia's a nice, peaceful place," Yuri agreed. "We have to make sure no one gets hurt because of the Box. Now, should we go downstairs... or out the window?"

~.~.~

I remembered way, way late that Heathcrife has actually used a sword enough to have definite callouses, which Conrart notes when they first meet him. Something about him just seems to non-action-y. So... uh, sorry.


	10. II-8 What is strength III

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Yuri meets a king.

~.~.~

**Part II, Chapter 8**

_What is strength (III)  
_

~.~.~

In the end, Wolfram refused to go out a window in a skirt.

"This is a stupid idea. I hope you know that," Murata hissed unhappily. "Stupider than usual."

Yuri just laughed abashedly and ducked into another alleyway. The streets were almost completely empty, so he wasn't too worried about someone spotting them just yet. The Francian palace was looming larger and larger as approached.

When they finally reached the foot of the castle walls, hiding in the shadow of the surrounding trees, Murata asked, "So what was your brilliant plan for getting in? Climb up the side?"

"Don't be stupid," Wolfram said. "We're going in through a side gate. Soldiers and servants are always going in and out through the side entrances. They'll probably even be getting deliveries for tomorrow. It's like that at Covenant Castle too. We'll find the right gate and sneak in while it's open."

"Have a lot of experience sneaking in and out of castle, Lord Von Bielefelt?" Murata prodded, trying to share some of his misery. Wolfram glared and refused to reply.

"That's a great plan!" Yuri beamed. "It's dark, so I should be able to cover us really well too."

Murata sighed. "So now you start being smart," he complained under his breath.

Their stupid plan worked with almost infuriating smoothness. It didn't take them long to find a side gate into the castle or for a wagon delivering something to arrive at that gate.

"Alright, I hope it works this time," Yuri muttered, holding up one hand in a seal.

"What do you mean, this time?" Wolfram demanded. "You better-"

His words were cut off as the concealment illusion fell over them. Wolfram shuddered and lifted his hands to his ears reflexively. Every sounds had suddenly become muffled, and the shadows had darkened eerily.

"Is it supposed to be like that?" he asked, cringing a little at the way his own voice sounded, almost as if he was speaking underwater.

"You get used to it," Murata said calmly, apparently unaffected. "Once you become familiar with a person's magic signature, you will be able to see through any illusion they use. When Shibuya first started trying to cast magic, he always practiced on me, so I've pretty much immune to the effects by now. It was really annoying for a while though."

Yuri snickered, remembering some unfortunate incident. "Come on," he urged them as the wagon passed by their clump of trees and the guards were looking away.

They ran into the shadow of the wagon, letting it conceal them. Wolfram glanced around nervously, especially as they passed by the guards on either side of the gate. He knew the shadow itself shouldn't have been enough to hide them, but Murata's firm hand in the middle of his back kept him moving.

None of the guards so much as glanced in their direction.

As they passed into the darkness of the entrance tunnel, Wolfram breathed a sigh of relief.

'It's working fine now, so why didn't it work on that bodyguard?' Yuri wondered privately.

Passing through the tunnel, they walked out into the castle's courtyard and quickly ducked behind some unassuming shrubbery. From there, it was a straight shot into the castle itself.

At this point, Yuri realised they had a slight problem. "Where would they keep the Box?" he said, rubbing his head thoughtfully.

"I wonder," Murata grumbled.

"It's a secret, dangerous artifact, so probably not in one of the main treasuries or storerooms," Wolfram reasoned, looking at the two of them disapprovingly. "Somewhere deep in the castle, but not where there's a lot of traffic, I'd guess."

"That's amazing!" Yuri beamed at him, making Wolfram scowl and look away, though Murata could see a faint blush as well. Murata himself was also perhaps somewhat favorably impressed, if only a little. 'Maybe he's got a bit more sense than Shibuya,' he thought, 'not that it takes much. And only when he's not flying off the handle.'

Actually, that didn't sound much like a compliment at all.

The three Demon Tribesmen crept deeper into the palace, Wolfram leading the way. Though he hated to admit it, he was guessing too. The layout was very different from Covenant Castle or Voltaire Castle, and all he could really do was keep moving in the same general direction.

"Hey, Wolfram," Yuri whispered after a while, "haven't we already passed that, um, statue of a... octopus?"

"We did," Wolfram bit out, "because we had to double back after we hit a dead end, remember?"

"Oh, yeah... Are we at least getting close now?" Yuri asked, looking around the dark, empty corridors.

"Don't tell me you're wimping out!" Wolfram scowled.

"I'm not a wimp!" Yuri protested. "But we'll need to get back too!"

"What kind of thinking is that? You've got to put your everything into anything you do! Holding back is what a wimp would do!"

'I take back every vaguely favorable thing I thought,' Murata decided.

He paused, ignoring the steadily growing bickering of the other two boys. "Be quiet!" Murata snapped, dragging them both around a corner. "Someone's coming!"

The footsteps that had been growing closer paused suddenly. 'They must have noticed us!' Yuri thought. 'Is it a guard?' His eyes met Murata's, and Yuri came to a sudden, unfortunate realization. 'I forgot to cast the illusion again!'

Judging by Murata's glare, he understood Yuri's unspoken message. Looking between them, even Wolfram seemed to catch on.

"Lyla?" a voice called out from around the corner. "Lyla, is that you?"

The footsteps began to hesitantly approach again.

'He'll see us!' Wolfram thought frantically, his hand dropping to grip the hilt of his hidden sword tightly. 'Well, fine! If he's down here, he can give us answers!'

Seeing him dart out into the corridor, Murata tried to grab Wolfram's arm, but just barely missed the edge of his sleeve. Throwing caution to the winds, Yuri ran after Wolfram. In the flickering torchlight, he could see that a young man stood at the other end of the corridor, dressed in nightclothes and frozen in shock. Wolfram had already begun to draw the hidden blade in his parasol when Yuri tackled him from behind, sending them both crashing to the floor.

"S-stay back!" the young man in front of them yelled, terrified despite their prone positions. "You'll get in trouble if you do anything to me! I am Antoine Jean Pierre! The king!"

'He's... even more foolish than Shibuya,' Murata thought, lingering in his hiding place. He honestly couldn't see a way out of this mess. Maybe he wouldn't be able to identify them? 'At least Wolfram was right about this part of the castle being only accessible to the king and his immediate staff.'

Yuri laughed awkwardly. "It's, um, a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty!" he exclaimed, shoving the cursing Wolfram down to stop him from attacking, or saying anything unfortunate. "So what brings you down here at this time of night?"

"Oh, I was just going to look at my treasures, down the hall. It really calms me down..." the young man began to answer before realizing what he was doing. "Wait! This is my castle, I can go wherever I wish! What are you doing here? For that matter, who are you?"

"It's pretty dangerous for a king to wander around by himself," Yuri continued, unabashedly ignoring Antoine's questions. "You should probably take some guards with you."

'Like you do?' Murata thought. 'Hypocrite. Listen to your own advice!'

"Lyla always says that too, but there isn't supposed to be anyone down here. I thought it would be safe," Antoine said, drooping. He straightened as he suddenly seemed to realize something. "But if you're here, and no one is supposed to be here, then you must be... assassins?!"

"We're not!" Yuri protested quickly, waving his arms. "We just got lost." He smiled, thinking, 'Well, it worked once...'

"Oh, I see," Antoine said, smiling as well. He seemed to accept Yuri's words easily. "But... is that young lady alright?"

He pointed down to Wolfram's prostrate, shaking figure. Little did he know that Wolfram was shaking in absolute fury. 'I don't believe this. I can't believe this,' the young nobleman repeated to himself.

"My friend was just so happy to see another person down here that she ran out without thinking. She tripped," Yuri supplied, finally getting to his feet and hauling Wolfram up as well. The blonde carefully kept his head down, trying to hide his furious expression. "We were really scared that we'd get lost down here forever!" Yuri continued cheerfully.

"It's pretty confusing, isn't it?" Antoine agreed. "Well, come along, I'll lead you out." He smiled, puffing out his chest a little.

Behind his back, Yuri and Murata exchanged a quick look. Murata nodded back down the other way, to the room Antoine had indicated before. He would go check it out, while Yuri and Wolfram headed outside and hopefully didn't make an even bigger mess of things.

"That's great! Thanks!" Yuri said, following Francia's king and pulling Wolfram along. Behind them, Murata disappeared into the shadows. 'I probably shouldn't give him too much opportunity to think about things,' Yuri decided. Instead, he started talking. "So, do you come down here a lot? By yourself at night?"

"Not that often," Antoine replied absently. "But lately I've been really worried, so I come down to my treasure room to think things over. Being surrounded by all my treasures is really calming. I've got to keep it together, so that I don't become a burden for everyone."

Yuri glanced at him thoughtfully. "We heard you haven't been feeling well recently, so you couldn't meet with anyone," he said.

"Um, well yes, that," Antoine stammered. "It's been really busy, hasn't it? All of a sudden, all these people are coming to our country. What could they all want? I just didn't know what to do, and then Lyla told me not to meet with anyone, so I said I felt sick."

"So you don't know what everyone's after?" Yuri repeated dubiously. "And why did she tell you not to meet anyone?"

"I didn't ask," Antoine said frankly. "If I need to know, Lyla will tell me."

Wolfram growled, the sound startling both Yuri and Antoine. "That's..." he ground out, shoulders shaking. "That's not how a ruler should be! You're the one who's responsible for your people! You have to make those decisions!"

Antoine cowered away from his sudden outburst, while Yuri reached out to place a firm hand on Wolfram's shoulder.

"What's gotten into you?" he asked, looking at him with concern. "There's nothing wrong on relying on others to help you. No... it's absolutely necessary for a king to trust in his advisers and his people. Even a king can't accomplish everything alone." Yuri nodded thoughtfully to himself. 'I guess that's the problem. I trust Mister Fanfan, but I didn't trust in him.'

"That's different! You don't get it," Wolfram growled. "It's one thing to trust people, it's another to just blindly do what they say!" He shook his head sharply and looked away. 'The way Mother let her brother run the country,' he thought bitterly. 'She shouldn't have just let him do as he wished.'

Yuri was looking at him with worry, but Wolfram refused to say anything else. "I'm sorry about that. He... uh, she's just..." Yuri tried to explain, turning back Antoine.

"No, it's alright," Antoine said, his expression somber but not stricken. "I understand. Everyone wishes for a strong, dashing king. But I'm not strong or smart. I'm completely ordinary. There isn't anything I can really do for my country or my people. So the best I can hope for is to avoid being a burden to them. That's why I try not to act pridefully or willfully."

His eyes met Yuri's, oddly calm and observant, and Yuri had the sudden feeling that Antoine wasn't quite as gullible as they had assumed.

"That's true... I guess, acting willfully is a burden on everyone," Yuri mused. "I might have also just gotten in everyone's way..." It really seemed like the people around him had planned how to handle things all along. Gwendal, Celi, even Fanberlain had all been well on their way to dealing with the problem of the Box, and Yuri had just barged in without considering that.

Wolfram made an inarticulate sound of rage and spun around to poke him firmly in the chest. "I told you, don't wimp out now! Your willingness to do something is about your only good point!" Wolfram lectured. He advanced on Yuri, crowding him back. "Don't you dare suddenly lose that!"

He turned his glare on Antoine, who flinched and took a reflexive step back, fumbling with his lantern. "And you! A king doesn't have to be strong or smart! That's what they have advisers for! But advisers advise. They don't decide! That's the king's duty. The king is the one who leads the country and guides all its people!"

"The king is gives directions to the team," Yuri muttered to himself, nodding. His eyes met Wolfram's, the two sharing a meaningful look.

"A king leads," Antoine repeated, his expression growing pensive.

"That's right," Wolfram said, his temper cooling a little. He huffed, tilting his chin up haughtily. "What people wish for is a king that will lead them well and to whom they can give their strength without reservation. A king who doesn't just run away from the problems his country faces."

His eyes darted for a moment back into the shadows, and following his gaze, Yuri realized with a start that Murata had returned. Murata shook his head. He hadn't found the Box.

"Listen," Yuri said quietly, placing a restraining hand on Wolfram's shoulder and turning to Antoine, "the reason we're here - the reason everyone is here in Francia, is to find a cursed box that contains the same power that almost destroyed Caloria."

"There's something like that in my country?!" Antoine demanded, the fear in his expression dwarfed by concern and... determination.

Yuri nodded. "Everyone certainly seems to think so. I get that you don't know anything about it, but is there anyone who might?"

Antoine hesitated, his eyes darting away before he forced himself to straighten and meet Yuri's gaze head-on.

"Lyla," he said. "Lyla will know. She disappeared for several days a month ago, right after that tidal wave, and she's been on edge ever since. She left to meet with someone tonight... I can take you to her."

~.~.~

This section of the story just drags on and on. Why didn't I just have Fanfan introduce Yuri to Lyla like I originally planned? Why did I add in these complication, which made it balloon to more than twice its intended length? But then I was too lazy to go in and edit this stuff out, so... uh, enjoy?

Also, I've got all the chapters from Part II all laid out, so now it's up to you guys to motivate me to post them. As in, with reviews.


	11. II-9 What is strength IV

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: A plan is worked out to acquire the Box. Also, failure to keep identity secret count: ...3? Maybe.

~.~.~

**Part II, Chapter 9**

_What is strength (IV)  
_

~.~.~

After a bit of initial surprise at his sudden appearance, Antoine was oddly accepting of Murata joining their group. Again, Yuri thought he saw the same strange observant, almost calculating look in his eyes. Wolfram was still lost in his own thoughts, brooding, but Murata gave the Francian king a considering look.

Antoine led them across the castle and outside into a small, isolated garden. As Yuri looked around with interest, admiring the nighttime scenery, Antoine explained, "This place was supposedly built by one of my ancestors as a place to rendezvous with his secret lover. It looks like there's only one entrance, from the royal wing of the palace, but there's actually a secret passage that leads outside the castle walls too."

As they walked down the garden path, gravel crunching under their feet, Yuri thought he heard a man's voice, but it seemed to fall silent as they got closer.

One of the bushes shifted, despite the still air, and a young woman stepped out onto the path in front of them.

"Halt! Who goes there?" she demanded, brandishing a short sword that glimmered faintly in the moonlight. "This area is off limits!"

"Lyla, it's me!" Antoine called out, waving.

The young woman lowered her sword in surprise, stepping out of the shadow of the trees. "Your Majesty! I'm deeply apologize, I didn't realize..." She trailed off, her eyes widening as she noticed the three Demon Tribesmen following behind him. Her sword lifted again, and she barked, "Your Majesty, get away from them!"

"Lyla, it's okay," Antoine tried to explain, but Yuri could see that she wouldn't believe him that easily. It really did look pretty bad, when you got down to it.

Instead, Yuri stepped away from the other king, holding his hands up in gesture of surrender. "Sorry about breaking into your castle," he said, making Murata wince and shake his head.

If nothing else, that caught Lyla off guard, and she stared at him in surprise. However, she quickly pulled herself together and raised her sword menacingly. "Sorry or not, I won't let such a crime go unpunished," she declared, preparing to attack. "You're not leaving here tonight!"

"Lyla, wait!" Antoine called out.

Surprisingly, another voice joined his in protest.

"Wait!" Fanberlain repeated, stepping out from behind the same hedge as Lyla. "They're with me." His expression was still mild as he turned to regard the three of them. "I told all of you to stay at the inn," he remarked almost casually.

"Sorry," Yuri apologized again. "But I really can't just do nothing."

Lyla's gaze shifted between them and Fanberlain, calculating. "I see," she said finally, sheathing her short blade. "So are they the ones you're making the deal for? They don't look like much. Do you really think something like a Forbidden Box can be entrusted to these children?"

"They're more than they appear," Fanberlain said. "And it won't be just them who is entrusted. They are only the representatives."

"That's right. We're representatives of the Demon Tribe," Yuri said. Pulling off his head scarf, he bowed to her low to her and Antoine. "I'm sorry for making you carry the burden that should have been ours. The Forbidden Boxes are meant to be watched over by the Demon Tribe. It's because we didn't protect the Boxes properly that you've been forced into this situation."

"Demon Tribe?" Lyla repeated, her expression showing shock and confusion. Her eyes darted to Wolfram, his aristocratic features, to Yuri and his dark hair. As Yuri straightened, she met his gaze. "Double-black? But I thought..." she muttered.

"That's why we've come to ask that you entrust the Box to us again," Yuri continued. "I swear, we will make sure another tragedy does not occur. We will protect the world from the power sealed within the Boxes."

For a moment, everything was silent in the wake of Yuri's proclamation.

"You say that..." Lyla began, her eyes narrowing, "but do you really think we can do something like that? You're Demon Tribe. How can we humans trust you?"

"It was humans who opened the Box in Caloria," Murata pointed out, stepping forward. His eyes met Yuri's, conveying both his disapproval for his methods and his support. In the end, no matter what kind of stupid thing Yuri did, Murata was his friend and would have his back. "Furthermore, we of the Demon Tribe are the only ones who know how to properly seal the Boxes. After all, it was the Demon King who finally closed the Box in Caloria. It will take a long time, but at least now there is hope that life can return to that land."

"Lyla..." Antoine moved to stand beside the young woman, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for carrying this burden alone. I had no idea something like this was hanging over us."

"That's the way I wanted it to be," Lyla replied. "I didn't want to burden you..."

"Let's give it to them. I believe they can be trusted," Antoine said, looking back toward Yuri and the others. "They could have easily taken me hostage or used some other trick. But they told us clearly what they were after instead."

Lyla looked at him for a long moment, her eyes widening a little in surprise. In the end, she shook her head. "That's all well and good, and I want that thing out of our country as quickly possible. But at the same time, we can't just give it away. It would be tantamount to siding with whoever we choose. We can't afford to look like we're siding with the Demon Tribe. We'd be ostracized."

The cold practicality of her words stopped everyone short.

Antoine looked at Lyla sadly, suddenly unsure of what to do. Wolfram scowled, probably angered by what he saw as the weakness of humans, but Yuri only nodded slowly.

"I understand," Yuri said, meeting her eyes with determination. "In that case, we'll take it against your will. If we steal the Box, you won't be blamed, right? I'll make a big enough commotion that everyone will know that it was taken by force."

"That's too much!" Antoine protested, while Lyla stared at Yuri with wide eyes. "Your country will be blamed for doing a good deed!"

Yuri flinched. He knew that as well. His selfish determination to do what he felt was right was going to put the Demon Kingdom in danger. Hadn't Gwendal already said they were on the verge of war? What if this was the final push? His clenched fists shook.

A sharp elbow poked him in the ribs. "Don't wimp out now," Wolfram hissed. "It's not like humans have much love for us anyway. And it's only our right to reclaim the Boxes."

"Alright," Lyla declared suddenly, closing her eyes. "The Box is in a ruined temple half a day's travel to the northeast. It's at the foot of the mountains along the border with Cavalcade. The rest is up to you." Her fierce gaze pierced through Yuri, and he realized that it had taken an immense effort for her to trust them with this.

He smiled gratefully and bowed again.

Antoine's expression was troubled as he turned to Yuri, still uneasy about this arrangement and what it would mean. But seeing Yuri's determination, his mouth thinned and he straightened, squaring his shoulders. Lyla's eyes widened as she watched her king stand tall and lift his head up high.

"Thank you," Antoine told Yuri, forcing his voice to be clear and calm. "We won't forget what you are doing. Or what you said." His gaze shifted to Wolfram, who shrugged awkwardly. "Lyla, let's go. We need to prepare for tomorrow's audiences."

Lyla started, flushing faintly. "Uh... Yes, Your Majesty." She bowed suddenly, and her eyes remained on Antoine as the two of them departed.

"Come," Fanberlain said quietly, shaking his head, "the hidden entrance is this way."

"Um, Mister Fanfan," Yuri began, suddenly feeling a bit ashamed. "I'm sorry for messing up your plan! It's not that I don't trust you, I just..."

Fanberlain chuckled. "It's alright. I should have known you wouldn't accept just being told to sit quietly. I was wrong too, to try to cut you out of the deal. It seems you can be quite the asset during negotiations."

It was hard to tell, given his perpetually smooth and jovial demeanor, but Yuri thought Fanderlain was honest in his reassurance. He seemed to have accepted the sudden change of plans, always able to adapt like a true master businessman.

"We'll go to retrieve the Box tomorrow morning. I know the ruins she was talking about," Fanberlain planned as he led them behind several hedges, to an elegant statue of an angel. Tapping on its pedestal lightly, he uncovered a hidden door that led down into a dark tunnel. "Once we retrieve the Box, we'll take a back road back to the harbor and load it with my other purchases. Depending on the situation, we might wait a day or cast off immediately. After that, I was planning on stopping by Hildyard before circling back to the Demon Kingdom. That'll be the least suspicious route."

"Sounds good," Yuri agreed. "Leave the magic show to me. I'll convince everyone." 'Whether with actual magic or an illusion,' he added to himself.

"Then all that's left is to get a good night's sleep, yes?" Fanderlain said, smiling again and ducking into the hidden passage.

Murata followed after him, shooting Yuri an exasperated look. Instead of going next, Wolfram gestured for Yuri to go ahead. But Yuri hesitated, taking in Wolfram's brooding demeanor.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out. "I know you said not to wimp out, but I really am sorry for dragging everyone into this. I'm making the Demon Tribe into the villains, giving everyone reasons to think badly of us. I..."

"I told you, it doesn't matter," Wolfram said impatiently. "The Boxes are rightfully ours. Any other Demon King would have just taken them for real. It's not that." Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair. Looking up at the moon, he asked, suddenly, "Why did you become Demon King?"

"Huh?" For a moment, the question completely threw Yuri off guard. Why ask that now? What did it have to do with anything? Did he mean that...? "I care about the Demon Kingdom!" Yuri protested, suddenly angry and a little hurt. "I want what's best for the Demon Tribe! Just because I also care about other people, about humans, doesn't mean I don't-!"

"That's not what I meant!" Wolfram shot back, looking startled by the way Yuri interpreted his question. He hadn't intended to imply that, though he felt slightly relieved to hear Yuri's reply. "That's not what I meant at all. It's just... Every Demon King is chosen by the Great One, so they don't really have the option of refusing. But a stupidly stubborn guy like you must have had a reason for accepting. You even came to this world of your own free will... So why? What made you decide to become Demon King?"

"Oh..." Feeling in turn embarrassed by his own outburst, Yuri glanced away. "That's... There's something that needs to be done," he explained, looking up to the moon as well. "I don't know if I'll be able to do it, but I have to try. I can't just ignore it."

Wolfram's brows furrowed in confusion. 'Something that needs to be done? Something that requires the Demon King to do it? But if he's from the other world, how can he know about something like that?'

"And," Yuri continued, "there is a wish I want to make a reality."

His sudden, overwhelmingly fond smile caught Wolfram by surprise. Before he could say anything else or ask any more questions, Yuri ducked under the statue and into the darkness.

~.~.~

The next morning, Yuri was shaken awake.

Fanberlain's face bore an uncharacteristically serious expression that made Yuri sit up and force himself to concentrate. Judging by the faint light coming from the window, it was barely dawn, if that.

"A Big Cimaron ship docked overnight," Fanberlain said. "They're arriving in the city as we speak."

The words were like cold water down Yuri's back, shocking him awake.

His darted around the room, noting that Murata was already up and in the process of rousing Wolfram. Fanderlain looked almost as well put together as always, but there was a subtle tension that hadn't been present before.

"We can still leave the city and retrieve the Box," Fanderlain said, looking to Yuri with an expression he didn't quite recognize. "But they will likely set up guards along the roads by the time we return, even if King Antoine doesn't tell them anything. I can't vouch for our chances of getting the Box on the ship and departing safely."

'...He's asking me what to,' Yuri realized, surprised. He swallowed heavily, feeling unbalanced by the sudden weight of the man's expectations. 'What do we do? We can't get to the Box to the ship, but we need to get it out of Francia and away from Big Cimaron.'

"Can we go over land?" Yuri asked, his eyes flicking to Fanderlain.

The merchant paused, thinking. "It's not impossible. The border with Cavalcade is very mountainous, so there aren't many paths, but we might be able to make it through. We would need a guide though, cooperation from the locals, and..."

'We won't be able to count on that if we make a show of taking it like we promised,' Yuri finished the thought. 'We need to get the Box to the Demon Kingdom. But we also need to make Big Cimaron think that we took it against Francia's will. At the very least, we need to make sure Big Cimaron knows we're here. But if we do that, we won't be able to get to the Box...'

"...Oh," Yuri breathed suddenly, his eyes lighting up, then narrowing in thought. "I think I have an idea."

Murata glanced at him sharply from beside the barely-awake Wolfram. Judging by his expression, he already knew he wouldn't like this idea at all.

"Say, Mister Fanfan, where would the delegation from Cavalcade be staying?" Yuri asked.

~.~.~

Just one more chapter left in this section of the story. Thank god. Argh...


	12. II-10 What is strength V

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Yuri trusts people, and Nicola comes one step closer to getting her man back.

~.~.~

**Part II, Chapter 10**

_What is strength (V)  
_

~.~.~

"A man of the Demon Tribe never runs!" Wolfram hissed, scowling viciously at Yuri's back as they made their way to the Cavalcade representative's lodgings. "I refuse to just just because Big Cimaron's soldiers have arrived!"

"We're not going to run away," Yuri replied absently, focused instead of counting the streets and making the right turns.

"So we're not just going to ask the Cavalcade people for help crossing over the border," Murata muttered. "I knew it."

"I didn't want Mister Fanfan to worry about us, so that's what I told him," Yuri said. "He might have tried to stop us too, since he probably promised Miss Celi to look after us. And this way, he won't get in trouble either."

Turning again, he came to a stop in front of the inn Fanberlain had said the Cavalcade representative was staying at. Before he could head in, Wolfram dragged him back into the shadowed alley. The sun had barely begun to rise, still hidden behind the buildings, and the streets remained damp and cool.

"Then what's the plan?" Wolfram demanded. "Stop rushing off without explaining anything!"

Murata nodded in agreement. "I can guess... but you should still explain things before doing them, Shibuya. At least that way we'll have a little more time to figure out how to deal with fall out," he said, pushing up his glasses. "And you never know. We might even have something useful to add."

Yuri nodded sheepishly. "Right. We're going to ask Mr. Heathcrife to get the Box, take it over the border to Cavalcade and then to the Demon Kingdom," he summarized, with perfect seriousness.

For a moment, both his companions simply stared in silence. Then, the dam broke. "We WHAT?!" Wolfram demanded, before Yuri shushed him. "We're going to trust a human to take the Box to the Demon Kingdom? That's insane! What's to stop him from keeping it for himself?"

"Well, nothing," Yuri said honestly. "But I think we can trust him. He seemed very honest about wanting to stop the Boxes from being used."

Murata looked thoughtful. "Cavalcade isn't much bigger than Francia, though it's better positioned and wealthier," he mused. "They can see how much strain having a Box placed on Francia, so they probably won't keep it for themselves. Assuming that they'll give it to the Demon Kingdom is a bit of a stretch though."

"I'm telling you, I think we can trust him," Yuri insisted. "I don't think we have any better options anyway."

Wolfram still looked furious, but Murata only sighed. "Fine. But what'll we be doing then? Any reason why you told Lord Von Bielefelt not to bother with his disguise?" Indeed, Yuri had told Wolfram not to bother with the dress and scarf. Fanberlain had even returned Wolfram's sword to him before they departed.

"We'll be the ones convincing Big Cimaron that the Demon Kingdom is here and taking the Box," Yuri said. "We'll say that we're just one group and that our allies have already stolen the Box."

"So we're a distraction," Murata commented dryly. "Shibuya, that's a terrible plan. I can't let you do that."

"What? Why not?" Yuri wondered, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Because you're the Demon King," Murata said. "It's too dangerous for you to make yourself known here. Francia isn't going to help us, and Fanberlain won't be able to do much either. There's little chance that we'll be able to get away after announcing ourselves like that. We'll be killed or captured. I can't allow that to happen to you."

Yuri looked ready to protest, but Wolfram spoke first.

"There's no need for either of you for this," he said. His hand tightened around his sword, and he almost appeared to be shaking. "I'll go. He'll recognize me, for sure. It'll be enough." Wolfram nodded slowly. "Yes, this is the best way. This is why I came here..."

"Forget it! I'm not letting you go alone!" Yuri declared. He and Wolfram matched glares, neither willing to back down.

"This has nothing to do with you," Wolfram hissed. "This is... this is something I have to do."

"A family matter," Murata put in, nodding.

"That's right!" Wolfram agreed hotly. Realizing what he had admitted, he winced.

Yuri looked between the two uncomprehendingly. Keeping his gaze on Wolfram, Murata explained, "The Key used at Caloria belonged to Wolfram's relative."

"The arm?" Yuri said, his brow furrowing.

"My brother," Wolfram admitted quietly, his voice full of bitterness.

"He went missing after the Key was taken from him," Murata continued, though even he felt unwilling to baldly say what had occurred. "But Lord Von Crist saw him in Svelera, with Big Cimaron troops, I assume. That's what Nicola's story said."

Wolfram's shoulders were openly shaking, his expression hidden. "He might have been... half human, but... he was always loyal to the Demon Tribe. I have to find out..." He shook his head sharply. "No. I have to stop him. It's my duty as his brother."

Yuri wanted to say something, anything, but he couldn't find the words. His mind reeled from these revelations - Wolfram had another (half?) brother, his brother was a half-human, that's why Wolfram had been so angry, that's why Wolfram had wanted to come with them, Wolfram's brother was probably here...

Wait. "We don't even know if he's here," Yuri said. "What if he didn't come with the troops?"

"He's here. I know it," Wolfram insisted. "Gwendal thought he would be here too. That's why he ordered that spy to pull out. They served together, so he would be too recognizable."

"Well, you're not going alone," Yuri insisted back, crossing his arms. Glancing up at the gradually lightening sky, he shook his head. "We don't have time for this. Let's go."

Before either his companions could object, he stepped out the alley and stalked up to the inn entrance. Murata and Wolfram exchanged a look. 'If push comes to shove, we'll have to knock him out and hide until the worst of the danger passes,' Murata decided. 'He'll be furious, but... at least he'll be alive. Even Yuri's miraculous luck has limits.'

~.~.~

"Mr. Heathcrife! Mr. Heathcrife, are you there?" Yuri called out, knocking on the door the innkeeper had indicated. It opened almost as soon as his fist hit the wood, revealing the tall figure of Heathcrife's bodyguard.

The man's hand was on his sword, and his single eye darted over the group assembled in the corridor. When he caught sight of Wolfram, he froze, obviously caught completely by surprise. Wolfram's eyes narrowed and suspicion spread over his aristocratic features as he stared back.

"These are friends of mine," Yuri explained hurriedly. "We really need to talk to Mr. Heathcrife right now!"

Without waiting for a response, he crowded up to the man and herded him back into the room. Surprised both by Wolfram's appearance and Yuri's brazen disregard of the danger he still posed, the swordsman allowed himself to take several steps back and the three boys to enter after him.

"Oh dear, I didn't expect to see you again so soon, or so early," Heathcrife commented, appearing from deeper into the suite. He was missing his hat - and hair - but appeared otherwise composed. "What seems to be the matter?"

"Mr. Heathcrife, ships from Big Cimaron have arrived," Yuri began quickly, receiving a nod from the man. He had also heard, and it was clear from the wrinkles in his brow that he was also concerned. "We found out where the Box is. And we need you to get it and get it out of Francia."

Heathcrife's eyes widened and widened again as Yuri spoke. For a moment, he seemed frozen, then his expression turned thoughtful.

"How...? No, that's not important. I see. Yes, I see. With Big Cimaron in the city, getting the Box out by sea will be all but impossible. We can help you get it across the mountains to Cavalcade," he thought aloud, reaching up to run a hand across his smooth head. "I can do that. I know a pass or two from back in the day. We'll set out right away, before Big Cimaron can start locking down the city."

"The Box is in a ruined temple half a day's travel to the northeast," Yuri repeated what Lyla had told him. "Can you find it?"

"Yes, I know where that is," Heathcrife said absently, his mind occupied with calculating the best way out of the city. "It's boobytrapped, but they should be easy to disarm..."

Yuri paused, knowing the next part would be harder. "...After you get the Box, please take it to the Demon Kingdom."

Startled out of his thoughts, Heathcrife looked up. "The Demon Kingdom? Then, you're all...?"

"They're from the Demon Tribe," the swordsman said, speaking for the first time. His voice was low and hoarse. "I would not have expected the Demon Tribe to seek help from humans. The Demon Kingdom must have truly changed..."

Wolfram looked at him sharply, studying him with a piercing gaze.

"If you keep the Box, the same thing that happened her in Francia will happen in Cavalcade," Murata reasoned, drawing everyone's attention. He smiled. "We of the Demon Tribe have already retrieved one Box, from Caloria. Please entrust us with this one as well."

"I know it's asking a lot," Yuri said, turning pleading, sincere eyes toward Heathcrife, "but I swear to you that we won't use the Boxes. They must never be opened."

Placing his hands on Yuri's shoulders, Heathcrife smiled. "It's alright. I couldn't possibly doubt such a sincere young man. We will retrieve the Box and entrust it to the Demon Tribe," he promised firmly. Then, his eyes saddened. "However, it won't be so simple. Cavalcade shares a border with the Demon Kingdom, but I don't think we will be able to cross it. Tensions have been high recently, and troops have been stationed along the border. I'm afraid they might... ask questions later."

He had been opposed to military action from the start, but Soddengard had placed a great deal of pressure on Cavalcade to support their arming and "defense."

'Is it really that bad?' Yuri wondered. 'Gwendal said everyone was preparing for war, but...'

Before he could despair, Heathcrife continued, "We can use one of my merchant vessels instead. We'll load the Box on in Cavalcade and sail to the Demon Kingdom. Under Hildyard's flag, we should be able to dock and at least make our case... as long as the situation hasn't deteriorated completely."

"They will hear you out, since you'll be accompanied by the young Lord Von Bielefelt," Heathcrife's bodyguard said quietly.

"Um, we're not coming with you," Yuri said, realizing he had left that out. "We'll be providing a distraction for the Big Cimaron troops."

Again, Heathcrife could only stare in surprise. He instantly realized the full implications - there would be nothing to hold him to his word. He would be free to do with the Box as he wished, but Yuri simply trusted him to do as promised. "My boy..." he began, only to run out of words. "My boy, you really are something else..."

"There's no need for that," the bodyguard said quietly. "Go with him. I will stay behind."

"No, it's got to be us," Yuri insisted.

"It's got to be me," Wolfram shot back. "You all should go."

"There's no time for this," Yuri said, refusing to back down. "We already decided we're staying."

"Who's this we?" Wolfram wondered.

"You should all go. I can't return to Demon Kingdom in any case," the swordsman said, irritation beginning to creep into his tone at their bickering. The next moment, he winced, realizing his mistake.

Turning away from Wolfram, Yuri looked at him in surprise, while Wolfram simply looked satisfied, as if his suspicions had all been confirmed.

"I thought so," he declared, his cold satisfaction tinged with disgust. "I thought it was you, Lord Gegenhuber Griesela."

The swordsman flinched, his head bowing under an invisible weight.

"You mean... Nicola's Hube?" Yuri wondered, staring at the man wide-eyed.

"Nicola?" Hube repeated, his gaze snapping to Yuri. "You've... seen her?"

"Sure. She's staying at Covenant Castle," Yuri replied, still staring at the man as a smile began to slowly form on his face. "She's really... um."

"Pregnant," Murata filled in, speaking up from where he had stepped back to observe.

Even through the mask, Hube looked stunned.

He hadn't known. After they had been separated, all he could do was hope that she had survived, that she would forget him and find happiness away from his cursed existence. To hear that Nicola had made her way to the Demon Kingdom and that she was with child...

Seizing the opportunity, Yuri insisted, "That's why you have to go. Nicola's waiting for you! And so is your child!"

"No... I can't go back," Hube said quietly, still reeling from the revelations.

"He's right. He was exiled, remember?" Wolfram said, turning away from the man, his anger and disgust clear.

"No, he wasn't. He was sent to look for the Demon Flute, and he found it. Gunter brought it back, so it's fine," Yuri said.

"And the Demon King even formally acknowledged its retrieval," Murata added. Seeing Yuri's look of surprise, he whispered, leaning in, "It was the other thing I had you sign, since you were so determined about having him return. Don't worry, no matter how stupid your ideas, we've got your back. We'll make it work."

Yuri beamed, and Murata couldn't help but return his smile. 'Nicola, I'm keeping my promise!' Yuri thought. No matter how tough the situation, things were looking up. But as his eyes darted toward Wolfram's brooding figure, Yuri had to wonder if their luck would hold.

~.~.~

I bought a large Japanese manga magazine recently, and it had a chapter of KKM in it. And what do you know, it's a chapter about the Ultimate Tournament. You know, the one where Conrart first reappears, as an enemy. Seems the manga is only that far. Of course, the scanalations are behind even that.

Honestly, the manga is a little weird to read. It has a lot more talking, which means more explanations of some things (like the fact that Nicola was nice to Hube, a Demon Tribesman, because her father's dead body and belongings were returned to her family by a Demon Tribesman years before). In general, I would say the manga probably sticks a little closer to the novels. Or at least that's my assumption.

What is really weird is the shipping aspect. There are some pretty strong Yuuram moments, probably directly from the aforementioned novels, but the artist clearly has a huge soft spot for Conrart. She keeps drawing these really loving shots of him looking super handsome, and also lots of scenes with him and Yuri that are... a bit fanservice-y. Like, I think Conrart all but hugs a naked Yuri at least twice and there's this really intimate dance scene on the ship...

Anyway, the manga's totally worth it just for the pretty artwork and the clothes everyone wears.

(I'll tell you about the other really weird thing next time.)

Also, guys, you need to review more, or I'll get completely unmotivated. As punishment, this is the only chapter you get this weekend.


	13. II-11 My back to you

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Yuri and company meet Conrart. There's a fight.

~.~.~

**Part II, Chapter 11**

_My back to you  
_

~.~.~

Wolfram didn't wait for Yuri to start arguing again. Once they stepped out of the inn, he simply turned and ran.

If he outpaced Yuri enough, Murata might be able to stop Yuri from interfering, Wolfram thought. He still believed there was no reason for Yuri to take part. And as a loyal Demon Tribesman, he had a duty to protect his king from harm, no matter how stupid and harm-seeking that king.

"Wolfram! Wolfram, wait!" Yuri yelled after him, his voice echoing down the streets.

The sun had risen, and people had begun to go about their day, slowly filling the streets. Wolfram dodged around them skillfully, letting them instead trip Yuri up. He didn't need to think twice about where to go. Big Cimaron's first destination was obvious - the castle.

There was no need for subtlety.

As he hit the main street, winding its way up to the castle, Wolfram caught a glimpse of Big Cimaron's flag and their brown-clad soldiers up ahead. They were almost to the gates.

Wolfram drew his sword. The throngs of people on their way up to the palace scattered as he charged, leaving Yuri and Murata behind in the confusion. Agitation rippled up the column, people glancing back, horses baulking uneasily, until it reached the Big Cimaron contingent.

The soldiers turned, and Wolfram's eyes met their commander's. For a moment, the man's placid mask slipped.

"WELLER!" Wolfram bellowed, raising his sword high. It was a clear challenge, and now there would be no going back. He didn't spare a glance back toward Yuri and Murata, knowing it would only endanger them. Hopefully, they would run or at least be too lost in the chaos to try to help him.

This, he would do alone.

The only danger had been that Weller would retreat and allow his soldiers to face him instead. But Wolfram had never believed that possible - in some way, he still believed in the man Weller had been, proud and honorable.

His brother.

Weller had dismounted and stepped forward to meet Wolfram's charge. Their swords met with a screech, sparks flying as Wolfram pulsed enough magic power through his blade to make it glow red with heat.

From beyond the searing blade, Wolfram snarled at his brother.

"What have you done?" he demanded. "How could you?! We thought... we thought you had died! Do you know how much Mother cried?! Do you know how much I-?!" Even now, he couldn't say the words.

He swung his sword again, only to be parried. The other man's blade was steady, and his face had once again shifted back into its composed mask. "Wolfram... you shouldn't be here," he said, and it was the same stupid voice, the same stupid tone that had always been there as Wolfram was growing up. It was as if nothing had changed.

"Of course I'm here!" Wolfram yelled instead, attacking again and again. "Gwendal tried to hide what you've done, but we found out. All Mother could do was cry and say how happy she is that you're alive! But you, you-!"

'You betrayed us,' he couldn't bring himself to say.

Instead, he attacked with renewed ferocity. Each strike was countered, and Wolfram knew there could be no doubt of the victor. His brother was still superior to him, especially with his magic limited in the human lands.

But, Wolfram noticed with bitter, vicious satisfaction, he had come far enough to push the man, to make him truly fight.

A circle of spectators had formed around their duel, the people keeping well out of reach, whispering amongst themselves. Guards from the palace were trying to squeeze through and disperse the battle, but the Big Cimaron soldiers were holding them back, letting their commander fight the strange whelp that had challenged him.

With a final push, Yuri made it to the inner circle. His eyes widened as he watched the two Demon Tribesmen clash, their swords ringing. The fury on Wolfram's face was underscored by raw pain and betrayal. And his opponent...

"Shibuya, we have to go," Murata muttered in his ear, attempting to pull him back into the crowd. "He's buying us time. Don't waste it. There's nothing we can do."

Slowly, Yuri shook his head. "No... They're both... They don't want to be fighting, so why are they...?"

Yuri didn't know much about swordfighting, but even he could see that both of them were hesitating in their own ways. It was too sad to see siblings fighting each other.

"You swore loyalty to the Demon King!" Wolfram shouted, another swing missing its mark. "You swore your sword to him! You were waiting for him all these years, and now he's finally here! Even if he's a wimp, he's our king, but you're going to turn your back on him too?"

Something about his words pierced through his opponent's calm, and the man's guard slipped for a moment, allowing Wolfram to score a long but shallow cut. "I serve a different master now," he said. He looked pained, perhaps not only from the wound he had received.

"No, this isn't right," Yuri muttered, watching them clash again. Even if their hearts were in clear disarray, the battle was growing more fierce... and more deadly. "They shouldn't be fighting. At this rate, one is going to be killed."

He tried to move toward them, but Murata yanked him back. "If you just run out there, you'll be the one to die!"

Yuri scowled, but he could see that Murata was right. He couldn't count on them to stop if he just threw himself in between them. His eyes darted around the scene, the two fighters, the gathered crowd, the soldiers forcing everyone back...

The soldiers. Ducking away from Murata's restraining hand, Yuri disappeared into the crowd again. Cursing quietly, Murata followed.

The two combatants pulled back in surprise as a commotion broke out among the crowd. Someone screamed, and people began to shove away from something within their ranks. Suddenly, a Big Cimaron soldier was thrown into the open, his helmet knocked off his head. More soldiers ran up to the source of the disturbance, only for one to yelp as a firm kick nailed him in the shin.

Wolfram watched in shock as Yuri's face flashed in the confusion. Another soldier grabbed him from behind, only for Yuri to try to headbutt him. The boy was too short, but Yuri only stumbled for a moment before instead kicking backward, at the man's crotch. The soldier groaned and went down, only for his compatriots to pull out their weapons.

Finding himself surrounded by sharp steel, Yuri drew back and, after a moment, held up his hands in surrender.

Wolfram stared, trying to under how the situation had changed so suddenly. The crowd had parted around Yuri, leaving another clear circle around him, the soldier he had punched, the two he had kicked, and those that now had him prisoner. Only Murata had remained still while the onlookers fled, now standing obviously just a few steps behind Yuri.

It wouldn't be long before he was captured too, his association with them undeniable. Those two idiots...!

Yuri waved sheepishly.

For a moment, Wolfram was caught between two impulses and unable to act. His duty to his king or to his family? Which should he choose? But almost before he knew what was happening, Wolfram's sword had lowered. His shoulders slumped as a terrible tension he hadn't quite recognized slipped away.

Big Cimaron soldiers surrounded him as well, and Wolfram allowed his sword to slip from his hand. Before he was forced to the ground, he caught a glimpse of his brother's face. He looked... relieved.

~.~.~

The three Demon Tribesmen were quickly captured and tied up. As Big Cimaron soldiers herded them up the path to the castle and into the courtyard, Wolfram allowed himself to drift closer to Yuri.

"What were you thinking?" he hissed, glaring.

Yuri glared back. "If you'd kept going, one of you would have died," he hissed in return. "And neither of you wants that! Even I can recognize killing intent, and there was none of it between you two!"

"Keep quiet!" a soldier barked, hitting them both across the back with his spear.

The two boys were sent to their knees, Murata following. The position was eerily familiar to Yuri, so like his situation a few weeks back. However, it wasn't Maxine's gloating form that looked down on them, but rather Antoine's uncertain gaze.

The king of Francia wrung his hands as he took in the chaos that had descended upon his castle courtyard. It was impossible to tell just where his nervousness stemmed from, and next to him Lyla stood expressionless, giving nothing away.

"Your Majesty," Wolfram's brother stepped forward, bowing to the king, "we apprehended these Demon Tribesmen within your city. We respectfully ask to use your dungeon to detain them until they can be properly interrogated and moved to Big Cimaron, if necessary."

"Um..." Antoine stalled, glancing at Lyla.

"Don't think you've stopped us!" Wolfram suddenly declared, drawing everyone's attention. "I just came back alone to deal with you, and these two idiots followed me! The rest of our group is well on their way to completing our mission."

He smirked as the soldiers began to whisper among themselves. All they could hope was that Lyla and Antoine understood his message - the plan was still on, despite minor alterations - though their faces showed no relief.

Unlike his soldiers, Wolfram's brother appeared unconcerned with the news and its implications. "That was foolish," he commented mildly. "You shouldn't have come back. Now, you and your friends will not be able to escape so easily." His cool brown eyes shifted to Yuri and Murata.

"They're not my friends," Wolfram said testily. "They're just two useless half-breeds." He ignored Yuri's part-wounded, part-indignant look. If anything, it adds to the authenticity of his claim.

"I'm Chris," Murata added. "I'm a scholar. I specialize in the Age of Founding."

"I'm Ernst," Yuri finished, firmly reminding himself not to say anything unnecessary.

Wolfram's brother studied them for a moment longer. Murata had tilted his head down, his glasses gleaming and hiding his features, but when the man's eyes rested on him, Yuri felt a sudden and irrational thought that he could see straight through his illusion.

Then, the man turned away without comment. "Lord Von Bielefelt will need to be kept in one of the esoteric stone prisons," he instructed, both to his own soldiers and to Francia's people. "The other two should be fine in one of the normal cells."

Big Cimaron's soldiers moved quickly, hauling them to their feet and separating Wolfram from the other two. Yuri and Wolfram exchanged a meaningful look, both trying to convey the same message - don't do anything stupid. Then, they were being herded into the castle and down into the dungeons.

"Is Wolfram going to be alright?" Yuri asked once they were thrown into their cell. Approaching the bars, he tried to peer out into the corridor, just barely able to spot the single Big Cimaron soldier posted as guard at the end of the tunnel.

"He'll be weak, but I doubt there'll be any real harm," Murata said, instead heading deeper into the cell and plopping down on the single cot. Crossing his arms behind his head, he stared up at the ceiling.

For a few moments, both brooded, lost in their own thoughts.

"What do you think is up with him? Wolfram's brother?" Yuri asked finally. From his place on the cot, Murata made a questioning sound. "Something's weird. I mean, he... lost his arm, right? So how come he has two of them again? Regrowing an arm is just crazy. There isn't a healer alive powerful enough to do that. I don't think there ever has been."

"Maybe he didn't regrow it," Murata murmured, almost to himself. "Maybe... he had a different arm attached."

Yuri considered the idea, but shook his head. "That's crazy too. Magic is really not good for handling rejection. You can't really transplant with it," he said with an odd authoritativeness.

"For the healing artes," Murata agreed. "But if it matches in a ritual way..."

At that, Yuri turned to look at him over his shoulder, his brow furrowing. Something about Murata's voice had been strange, holding a tone Yuri hadn't heard from him often.

"I guess," Yuri said dubiously, turning away again to peer through the bars. "But it would still be pretty crazy. Who can even pull off something like that?"

Murata didn't answer.

"And what did he even mean about serving another master?" Yuri continued, huffing. "Did he mean the king of Big Cimaron? Why would he do that? He didn't look, I don't know, triumphant or anything. But then," Yuri mused, his eyes narrowing, "he didn't look like he'd been hypnotized either." 'Amnesia? No, he remembered Wolfram. Mistaken identity? But Wolfram seemed sure...' Yuri considered other possibilities, each one more soap opera material than the last.

"Big Cimaron isn't really known for its magic users, of any discipline," Murata said. "Or at least, they weren't when I was here last. I didn't get the impression that had changed. If anything, they're more technologically advanced than most nations."

"So did they attach him a new arm through science?" Yuri wondered rather sourly. "No way. Even Earth technology can't do that." His expression grew pensive. "Something doesn't add up at all."

Even as his hands gripped the bars tighter, Yuri continued to stare into the shadows lurked across the dungeon. Still, Murata could almost feel his accusing stare. 'You know something,' it seemed to say. And he did. But...

"I'm sorry." The words were out before Murata could stop them, and instead of falling silent, he just kept talking. "I'm sorry. I don't want to keep secrets from you or hide things, but... I..."

Yuri was looking at him again, with clear, calm eyes. "It's fine," he said without a hint of reprisal. He smiled, bright and sincere. "I know that you'll tell me anything I need to know."

'You're being unfair, Shibuya,' Murata thought hopelessly. 'What can I say to that?'

Seeing something of Murata's thoughts in his face, Yuri laughed. "You've supported me all this time, Murata. How could I not trust you? I've only been able to make it this far because of all your help - with doing what I need to do, even with Hube, with coming to this world, and... three years ago."

He turned away, his shoulders slumping. His hand gripped the bars tightly. "Remember when you came to see me in the hospital? I had remembered all those things, and I was so confused. I barely knew who I was. It all faded away later, like a dream, but at the time, I was a complete mess. I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't been able to tell you and if you hadn't listened to me and told me about your own past lives. I don't know if I would've been able to handle it."

In the dark, damp cell, even Yuri's usually bright nature was subdued. His voice was full of melancholy, his head bowed. It didn't suit him at all, Murata thought. He should not have had to bear this burden.

"You're wrong, Shibuya," Murata said, swallowing heavily. "I'm the one who's grateful." 'Do you know long it had been since I'd even tried telling anyone those things? Just the fact that you trusted in me and listened to me was...' He sighed. "That happened in the first place only because you were trying to help me."

'But I guess that's the kind of guy you are, Shibuya. I swear, I'll support you, as much as I am able. I won't let you faith be wasted.'

~.~.~

((I don't think even Conrart, in all of his obsessiveness, would truly be able to recognize the features of an infant in a teenage boy. Even if that boy is Japanese in a European fantasy land. Because, you know, I don't think that part is ever acknowledged.))

So, the other weird thing about the manga: the Julia-Conrart-Adalbert relationship. In the anime, the impression I got was that Julia and Adalbert were happy together. Adalbert clearly loved her very much, and there's no hint that Julia was somehow unhappy with it, if not outright reciprocated. Conrart probably had an unrequited love for her, but the entire thing is mostly sidestepped.

In the manga, everyone else clearly believes that Conrart and Julia were in love. To the point that Josak says that Conrart could have been lord of Wincott Castle. And Wolfram outright states that Julia's father planned to break off the arranged marriage between her and Adalbert and that Lord Von Wincott approved of Conrart, so basically Conrart and Julia would have gotten married if she hadn't died. That's his assumption, perhaps, but the fact that we're getting this is...

Conrart himself says nothing on the issue, so... I dunno. But that's a pretty big change. Anyway, we do see a lot more "vision" shots of Julia in the manga, practically every other time Yuri uses his magic. I'm not sure what to make of it all.

On a different note, I really wonder about you guys. Do you not want updates? :(


	14. II-12 So long

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Yuri and company stay in a dungeon and then make a quick getaway.

~.~.~

**Part II, Chapter 12**

_So long  
_

~.~.~

It was late in the evening when Wolfram's brother descended into the dungeon. As always, he dismissed the guard and made his way down to Yuri and Murata's cell.

"Hi, Conrad," Yuri greeted him, waving through the bars. He had demanded the man's name on his first visit to their cell, which had prompted a rather strange look from him. Yuri supposed it would seem odd to travel with Wolfram and not even know his brother's name, especially since he was also the son of the previous Demon Queen.

Yuri had also completely failed to pronounce it, which "Conrad" had borne patiently.

"Good evening," Conrart replied courteously. "How are you doing?" It was the same thing he asked every time he came to check on them.

"Bored," Yuri said honestly. Glancing over his shoulder, he scowled at Murata's sleeping figure. "And abandoned. But I suppose there are only so many times you can play Shiritori before it gets old." 'Not to mention he keeps winning,' Yuri sulked. 'I should've paid more attention in language class.'

"I'm not familiar with that game," Conrart said, smiling placidly. He carefully didn't ask what it entailed. After he walked in on Yuri and Murata playing a very improvised version of Twister, for which neither could explain the rules, and the fiasco that was trying to explain how Rock-Paper-Scissors worked, Conrart had probably decided he was better off not knowing.

"It's fine," Yuri said, with reasonable good humor. "It's nice of you to come by every day. There's nothing to do, so it's sort of the highlight of my day."

"It's my duty as the leader of the Big Cimaron troops here," Corart replied. He had said that before too, and Murata had explained to Yuri that he was likely making sure the guards didn't get any ideas about doing something to the prisoners without his approval.

It made Yuri smile. "You're worried about your brother, right?" Yuri decided. Conrart made no comment, maintaining the same bland expression. "How's Wolfram doing? You visit him before us, right?"

"He's alright, though the esoteric stones are making him weak and a little nauseous." His expression shifted into a faint frown. "He was feeling so sick today he even didn't curse me out."

"Wow, seasick on land. That's tough," Yuri said, though he wasn't quite as sorry as he probably should have been. "At least he's too miserable to be bored. Let's see... on the boat, I think there was this tea that Miss Celi made to help him feel better. It was from these little purple flowers, like this..." He made a shape with his fingers. "He'd probably like it if you got him some."

"I don't think he would accept anything from me," Conrart said quietly, his expression still mild despite admitting what must have been at least a little hurtful.

Yuri opened his mouth to protest, then thought better of it. "...He might not. But you won't know unless you try!" he hurried to add. "And I think he'll appreciate it, even if he won't act like it. Wolfram came all this way, on this dangerous mission, just to meet you! I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't be happy that their brother cares about them."

Conrart smiled, so faintly that Yuri almost thought was a trick of the light. It was probably the first honest smile Yuri had seen from him, but... it didn't look happy at all. It was bittersweet at best and pained.

After a moment, even that hint of a smile slipped off Conrart's face as he looked at Yuri with something like puzzlement or confusion. "Actually, this time there is something else I need to tell you," he said, watching Yuri carefully. "King Belar is coming here. He will arrive in a few days. At that time, all of you will all be presented to him, so he can personally pass judgment upon you."

"What kind of guy is he, Belar?" Yuri wondered. 'Oh man, I hope I don't lose it like I did with Maxine,' he thought. 'Although maybe that would actually be for the best... It might be our only way out.'

"...He is the ruler of Big Cimaron," Conrart said neutrally.

"You don't sound very excited," Yuri noted. "Or all that respectful. You don't really like him at all, do you? So why are you following him? Or... are you just pretending to follow him for now?" Yuri's eyes narrowed, watching Conrart's unchanging poker face. "What are you really doing?"

"Please do not accuse me of disloyalty. What you are suggesting is tantamount to treason and carries a capital punishment in Big Cimaron," Conrart said. But even Yuri noted that he didn't deny anything.

"Is it really worth it? Whatever it is you're doing, you don't look happy at all," Yuri continued, pressing close to the bars and peering at the man on the other side.

"I would die for my cause," Conrart answered quietly, stepping back further into the shadows.

"It must be very important to you," Yuri murmured, "even more important than coming home..."

"Some things are worth dying for."

It sounded like a terrible echo of a nightmare he had never quite forgotten. It all sounded so stupidly familiar...

"That's wrong!" Yuri yelled suddenly, making the man on the other side of the bars flinch. "Some things might be worth staking your life on, but nothing is worth dying for!"

He gulped a deep breath, shaking with anger.

"Listen up!" Yuri barked, shoving one hand through the bars to point at the startled Conrart. "Let's make a promise, right now! I'll promise you one thing: no matter what, I'll be waiting for you at the Demon Kingdom! When you come back, I'll welcome you home! No matter what happens or how long it takes, we'll meet again there!"

For a moment, Conrart stood frozen, unable to do anything but stare at him in surprise. Swallowing, he finally pulled himself out of his shock and shook his head. "That's impossible," he said. "I can't go back. I've betrayed the Demon Kingdom."

"It doesn't matter! I definitely-," Yuri managed stop himself just in time. "The Demon King will definitely forgive you! He doesn't hold it against you at all. I know, he knows that you must have a reason, and he'll hear you out!"

Furious, Yuri had pressed himself flat against the bars and even stood on his toes to get closer to Conrart's eye level. At the sight of him so determined, Conrart couldn't help but smile a little.

"So you've met His Majesty," he mused quietly. "He sounds... like a fine king."

Caught off guard by the compliment, Yuri floundered.

"I'd like to ask you a favor," Conrart continued, his voice gentle. Stepping toward the bars, he reached into a hidden pocket on his uniform. "The next time you see him, please give this to His Majesty."

He held out a lovely blue stone that seemed to shine with its own radiance. The weight of it felt familiar in Yuri's hand as he accepted it.

"...You should give it to him yourself," Yuri muttered. "When you return."

But Conrart was already walking away. He didn't look back.

~.~.~

Finally turning back to his cell, Yuri huffed.

"I can tell you're awake, Murata," he said, carefully tucking the pendant into the pocket of the jacket he'd gotten from Conrart after bitterly complaining about the cool dungeon air.

His friend smirked, sitting up smoothly. "Hey, I just wanted to give you two time alone," he mocked cheerfully. "You've really got a Stockholm-Lima thing going there. Almost Romeo-Juliet even."

Yuri scowled, plopping down on the cot beside him. "There's definitely something going on with him," he said. "I'm gonna find out what!"

"You're right," Murata agreed. "He all but told us that we'll have our best chance to escape soon - when we're all brought together before being taken to meet Belar," he explained, seeing Yuri's uncomprehending look. "And he's been very... solicitous. Not just with his brother, but with us too."

"It doesn't make any sense if he's really a traitor," Yuri said flatly. Murata sighed and thought it better not to argue with him. "So what's his deal? Is he getting blackmailed? He sure doesn't seem all that stoked about working for Belar. If anything..."

"If anything, he seems more loyal to the Demon King," Murata finished. "Like Wolfram said."

Sighing again, Yuri let himself fall back against the damp stone wall behind the cot. As he looked up at the dark ceiling, he wondered, "Would he have stayed... if I'd come earlier?"

"...There's no point in wondering about that, Shibuya," Murata said quietly. "Operating the gate between worlds isn't up to you, or even me. We did what we could, and we made it here. Frankly, that's already a miracle."

'The gate between worlds...' Yuri mused. The shadows across the ceiling looked almost like the bottom of the cove they had jumped into, both deeper and shallower than they appeared.

"Ah. I think I have an idea," Yuri said.

~.~.~

By the time they were pulled out of their cells and Yuri saw Wolfram again, the young nobleman was barely able to stay on his feet. He listed alarmingly, even with his brother's steadying hand under his elbow. The fact that Wolfram didn't even try to pull away probably said more about his state than any reconciliation between the two.

They were taken to the courtyard again, where soldiers and servants were rushing about in a panic. The whole palace seemed to be in chaos, not only the Francian people, but even Big Cimaron's troops appearing nervous and scared. Only Conrart maintained the same air of calm as he turned to the guard who had brought up Yuri and Murata.

"Keep an eye on them while I greet the king at the harbor," he ordered quietly. Looking around, he added, "And try to keep out of everyone's way. Over here is fine."

Normally, Yuri would have been quite happy to linger in the shade, at the edge of the chaos, but their plan didn't really hinge on fewer people or even a chance to slip away unnoticed. He and Murata exchanged a glance, and Yuri shrugged. 'Might as well,' he thought.

"Let's all go greet him together," he said brightly, making even Conrart turn to regard him with some confusion.

"Indeed. We shouldn't waste this chance to offer our salutations to the ruler of Big Cimaron himself," Murata added, pushing up his glasses.

Looking between them, Conrart smoothed his expression. Hopefully, he assumed they had some plan, which they did, more or less. Kind of. Wolfram simply glared suspiciously, too nauseous to even argue.

"I suppose so," Conrart finally said, his tone mild. Turning to the guard, he added, "Fetch the horses, and two extras for them." The soldier hesitated for a moment, but Conrart patiently explained, "It would take too long if they walked. The king does not wish to be kept waiting." Something about the words made the guard snap to attention and rush away as if he had been threatened.

At the gate, Murata mounted with almost annoying ease. Wasn't there anything he couldn't do? Yuri glared a little, as Conrart helped him up on the other horse. When he tried to do the same for Wolfram, the blonde glared, despite being still too weak to mount on his own and in the end having to accept Yuri's help.

"Keep a good hold on him, so he doesn't fall off," Conrart instructed.

"Sure," Yuri said.

"Fine," Wolfram replied at the same time.

The two exchanged a glare.

"Don't try something like running off," Conrart added, handing Yuri the reigns and moving to his own steed. His tone didn't sound much like a warning, and Wolfram watched him go with narrowed eyes.

"Hey, Yuri," Wolfram said quietly, leaning in closer to his companion, "this would actually be a good chance..."

"We've got a plan," Yuri said. 'Sorta.' "Now let me concentrate."

Closing his eyes, he focused on the feeling of the horse under him. It was... not entirely foreign. Thoughtlessly, his body moved, and the horse started forward, following docilely after Corart and Murata, the guard bringing up behind them.

"I thought you didn't know how to ride," Wolfram muttered.

"I guess it's another thing I kept," Yuri mused. "Like language..."

"Kept?" Wolfram repeated, his arms tightening around Yuri.

"...From my past life."

Wolfram's eyes widened, and he stared at Yuri in shock. He mouthed the words - past life - and his brows drew together as he tried to understand the full implications of what Yuri was saying. Not that Yuri seemed to realize what he had let slip. His eyes were still closed, and his breathing slow and steady. He almost appeared to be meditating, lost in thought.

"Yuri, what're you saying?" Wolfram hissed, finally finding his tongue. His grip on Yuri tightened suddenly, startling him. As Yuri jerked out of his daze, the horse jumped as well and, throwing its head, almost bolted.

Reacting with admirable speed, Wolfram reached around Yuri and grabbed hold of the reins. He managed to regain control before they could crash into Murata's horse, which edged away uneasily but remained mostly in position under the hand of its experienced rider.

"Sorry, minor accident," Yuri called out to Conrart, laughing awkwardly. The man's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing as he turned away and continued to lead them to the harbor. Shooting Wolfram a look over his shoulder, which Wolfram returned with narrowed eyes, Yuri let him keep the reins. This wasn't really the time to discuss things.

Yuri could already see the masts of the Big Cimaron ships, yellow flags flying. The same sort of chaos they had seen in the palace courtyard had overtaken the wharf, but the crowd, especially the soldiers, parted to allow Conrart through.

It didn't take them long to reach the water's edge.

A wide ramp had been lowered from one of the massive ships, docked parallel to the wharf. Cimaron soldiers lined the sides and created a living wall at the bottom, but they drew aside as Conrart approached, several coming to take their horses.

As he dismounted, Yuri's eyes were drawn up along its length, past the soldiers, servants and even what appeared to be courtiers, to rest upon the large gilded chair placed before the thick mast. Upon the ornate seat rested a man in equally lavish robes, with large rings glittering on his fingers. His expression was one of impatience and ill humor.

"King Belar," Conrart greeted, dropping to one knee. "You honor us with your presence."

"Yes, I'm sure this pathetic little country has never experienced such a momentous occasion," Belar drawled, pulling himself up out of his slump. "I fully intend to make sure this will be an occasion they never forget."

An unpleasant smirk spread across his face, sending an unwilling shiver down Yuri's spine. Something about the expression was terrifyingly familiar.

The moment passed as Belar's narrow eyes turned to rest on Conrart, his expression changing to a sneer. "But I am less than pleased about having to personally come all the way out here to deal with such a little matter. I expected you to be able to handle things, Lord Weller. This makes two times that you failed to acquire the Boxes. Perhaps I overestimated the your potential uses."

His dismissive, mocking tone of voice set Yuri's teeth on edge, but Murata's firm glare kept him in place. In front of them, Conrart remained bowed and expressionless. "My deepest apologies, King Belar," he said.

Belar continued as if he hadn't heard him. "Perhaps it's time to make use of you in the capacity I had always intended," he mused. Holding up on hand, he snapped his fingers. Soldiers sprang into action, scrambling across the ship to man the cargo crane. Slowly, something massive was lifted out of the hold.

Even under the tapestry wrapped around it, Yuri recognized the even square shape.

A Box.

"The End of the Wind?" Conrart wondered, even his expression showing shock as he tensed, watching the forbidden object move to Francian soil. "...Is it not dangerous to bring it here, outside the borders of Big Cimaron?"

"It can only be used outside Cimaron," Belar said coldly. "And it shall be used - here."

"In Francia?!" Yuri burst out.

"They will certainly never forget the day King Belar visited their pathetic little land, wouldn't you say?" Belar smirked. "This will be a suitable lesson to all those that think of standing against us."

"They didn't stand against you! We did! We took the Box from them by force!" Yuri yelled, only to be forced to his knees again.

"I don't care," Belar said, looking down at them from his throne. "Then it will be a lesson to you and your worthless countrymen. In fact, who's to say which Box caused the devastation? Perhaps... it was the wicked Demon Tribe who unleashed it in this poor, peaceful land."

He chuckled, ignoring Wolfram's snarl.

"If the Box is activated here, you will also be in danger," Conrart said, his voice steady again.

"Oh, I will watch from a safe distance," Belar assured him, his smirk growing. "I learned from the mistakes of those fools in Caloria. A select few loyal, trustworthy men will remain behind to open the Box. They are true patriots."

He gestured to the men surrounding him. Indeed, their uniforms were different, darker and more concealing. Their faces looked dead, despite the fervent light that shone in their eyes.

"And of course, you will be leading them, Lord Weller," Belar continued, amusement thick in his voice. "For the glory of Cimaron. Why, anything else would be... treasonous to even suggest."

Conrart did not even look surprised. He didn't look much of anything at all, his face becoming an expressionless mask. As he bowed his head, Yuri could see the desperate tension coiling through his body.

'We have to do something,' he thought, shooting a frantic look toward Murata.

His friend stepped forward, spreading his hands disarmingly. "If you use the Box here, you won't be able to use it again. Surely you know that," Murata said, his voice quiet but carrying with a hidden strength. "Both the Box and the Key used to open it will be lost. Can you really afford that?"

"Oh? But the Demon Kingdom retrieved the Box in Caloria," Belar pointed out in an almost bored tone, raising his eyebrows mockingly. "So it can be done."

"That was only possible with the power of the Demon King, and even he was pushed to his limits," Murata countered. As he ducked his head, his glasses glinted ominously. "His powers still haven't recovered."

Almost unnoticeably, Conrart's hand twitched, and his eyes darted toward Murata.

"Is that so?" Belar mused.

He leaned forward suddenly, peering down at the three Demon Tribesmen. Tension mounted, and Yuri's body felt like a drawn bowstring.

"Boy..." Belar said slowly. "Your eyes... are very black, aren't they?"

Time seemed to stop.

For a moment, Yuri's mind blanked. He couldn't understand what Belar meant. Only seeing Conrart's widening eyes he realized the hint hidden in the words - black. Double-black. From his place above them, Belar could clearly see where Murata's hair had grown out, showing black roots.

Belar thought Murata was the Demon King.

They couldn't stay there. They had to go.

Yuri snapped into action.

Thrusting one hand up, he sent his magic surging across the wharf. Every soldier stumbled as a blizzard of deep blue flowers engulfed them. It was only a blinding illusion, but the few seconds of freedom it bought them was all they need to jump to their feet, Yuri dragging Wolfram, who had been blinded as well.

It was only a few steps the water's edge. Clasping hands, Murata and Yuri gathered their magic. Without him holding it up, the illusion dispersed quickly, and Yuri could hear startled, angry order to pursue following behind them.

But it was too late. The three boys leapt off the edge into the harbor.

The moment they hit the water, they were gone.

~.~.~

((There's a hilarious moment in the manga where Yuri completely fails to explain Rock-paper-scissors to Gwendal and Nicola. Anyway, I think it's entirely possible that Conrart wouldn't know about Shiritori, which is a Japanese word game.))

Okay, I forgive you all. Keep it up, reviewers~! :)


	15. II-13 Under the same sky

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Antoine has a backbone, though perhaps a misplaced one. Meanwhile, Yuri and company arrive back in the Demon Kingdom.

~.~.~

**Part II, Chapter 13**

_Under the same sky  
_

~.~.~

"What do you mean, you can't find them?" Belar demanded lowly, his tone coldly furious and deadly.

The soldier who had delivered the news cringed away, knowing that his king would not hesitate to kill the messenger in his rage.

"W-we've searched the bay and deployed troops all along the shore," the soldier stammered. "But they haven't even been sighted. Perhaps they drowned?" His suggested sounded timid and unlikely even to his own ears.

"No," Belar decided, "this must be some Demon sorcery. There's no telling what kind of powers those filthy beasts might possess." He stared into the distance, lost in internal calculations, his fists clenching sporadically. "I would have expected them to be contained properly," he said finally, turning his gaze to Conrart.

"My apologies, King Belar," Conrart said, bowing deferentially. "The boy from the noble families was kept in an esoteric stone prison, so his powers should have been dulled. I did not expect the other two to possess any magic skill, since they were both only half-breeds."

He had made no move to join the search efforts, mostly because of the "elite" soldiers that had remained surrounding him, their weapons not yet drawn but clearly displayed. He had been lost in his own thoughts, about his brother, about the illusion they had fallen under and about what Belar had implied about the third boy.

'Could he really be...?' Conrart wondered. 'No, Gwendal and Gunther would not have allowed something so foolish.' But they had allowed Wolfram to do something almost equally foolish. It wasn't impossible.

What truly seemed impossible to Conrart was that there had not been even a spark of recognition in him. Had his thoughts of a connection between him and Yuri been just a fanciful daydream? Or had the ties between them been truly cut? Both choices made his heart ache.

"Or so they claimed," Belar snorted.

"I did not expect them to use esoteric skills as well," Conrart said, trying to divert from that line of reasoning. Belar did not know it, but transporting through water - opening a gate - was a skill only a select few in the Demon Tribe possessed. He had only know of one, in fact: the Head Priestess at the Tomb of the Great One, Ulrike. It was considered a divine skill, given only to those closest to the Great One.

Knowing that would only further convince Belar of his assumptions. ...Whether they were correct or not.

Belar waved his words away. "It is not impossible," he said dismissively, though Conrart had to wonder how he could know something like that.

The king's eyes darted up, behind Conrart, just as the sounds of an approaching company reached them. The rows of soldiers that had cordoned off the area wavered and parted, allowing a procession bearing the blue wheat emblem flags of Francia to make their way to Belar's ship.

At the front was a young man in fine pale blue robes, the ill-conceived nervousness in his expression at odds with his obvious determination. He was followed closely by a woman of the same age, her serious demeanor and practical appearance markedly different from the man who had to be her king.

That sight, a loyal shadow, supporting silently and steadily, was both heartwarming and bittersweet.

Francia's young king dismounted with surprising grace. For a moment, he seemed to hesitate beside his horse, his hands clutching at the reins. Then, squaring his shoulders, he turned and advanced toward Belar. His aide followed him closely, her hands hovering near the two blades at her waist.

"King Belar of Big Cimaron," the young man began, bowing his head, "we are honored by your visit to our humble country. I am Antoine Jean Pierre, the twelfth king of Francia."

Belar watched him without interest and offered no response. In a way, that rudeness in itself could start a war, though no one present had any doubt that Belar would only welcome such a thing and that Francia would lose with barely a fight.

The fact was Belar had been willing to all but destroy Francia just a short while before. He still could. Wrapped in a ceremonial tapestry, the Box swayed gently where it was suspended between the ship and shore.

Fortunately, the king of Francia seemed unbothered by Belar's blatant dismissal. Keeping his eyes carefully averted even as he straightened, Antoine continued, "We would inquire to the purpose of your journey here, so that we may better accommodate your needs."

Suddenly, Belar smiled. "Why, we are here to help you," he declared, his eyebrows rising in mock good will. "You see, we received terrible reports - that those Demon Tribe beasts had infiltrated your land. They even stole a very precious object from you."

"...I was not aware of such a thing," Antoine said, his words ambiguous.

"Yes, they can be quite duplicitous, those foul monsters," Belar agreed kindly. "Certainly, Francia couldn't possibly stand against them. That is why we of Big Cimaron will offer our protection to you." He spread his hands grandly, encompassing the ships all along the harbor and the soldiers that crowded the wharf. "Francia will now be a protectorate of Big Cimaron."

'That's the same as subjugating them,' Conrart thought. 'They'll become nothing more than another province of Big Cimaron. A bloodless conquest... That may the kindest outcome possible.' His eyes darted to the Box, still hanging ominously over their heads.

Antoine had flinched, his head had bowing under Belar's unspoken threat. For a moment, all he could do was shiver, his eyes darting to the side. He wanted to look at his faithful aide, but she stood behind, also trapped between cold logic and emotion. He couldn't afford to turn to look back here. He had to choose alone.

"You're wrong..."

The quiet declaration caught everyone off guard, and Belar's brows rose in question.

"You are mistaken, King Belar," Antoine repeated, lifting his head to meet the other man's eyes. "We do not require your protection. We are not in danger. The Demon Tribe did not trespass upon our lands. Rather, they were here by our invitation, as our allies."

For a moment, all present remained frozen, stunned by his declaration - and what it implied.

Belar was the first to move, shaking faintly with rage as he leaned forward. "Do you understand what you're saying, boy?" he demanded through grit teeth, barely forcing the words out. "Do you realize what you're suggesting? Siding with those beasts? Have you betrayed your race?!"

Antoine flinched, but even trembling, he refused to back down. "The representatives of the Demon Tribe presented themselves to me and stated their case. My aide Lyla witnessed our meeting. I have approved an alliance between our two nations. This is my decision as King of Francia," he stated, his voice quavering just a little.

With a sharp crack, one of the armrests of Belar's throne shattered. He had brought his fist down upon it, and the force of his rage had proven too much.

"You... dare..." he grit out. "Enough! You don't deserve to exist, if you choose to side with those things! I'll erase your pathetic little nation off the map!"

He gestured angrily to the Box, forcing his soldiers out of their stupor. They scrambled to the cargo crane, as Antoine's eyes followed their movements to the line of the crane, up to the cursed thing that had begun to sway ominously above them.

"Please wait, King Belar!" Conrart exclaimed. The man's furious gaze turned to him, but Conrart forced himself to remain at least outwardly composed. He couldn't hesitate or show uncertainty, or he would give away the game they were playing. Conrart ducked his head respectfully. "I understand that their actions are almost unconscionable. But the king is young. Surely he can still be made to see reason and come to support Big Cimaron as one of our allies."

Belar shook as he tried to force down his anger, but his eyes were regaining the gleam of calculation as he stared down at Conrart.

There was something in his gaze Conrart had not seen before - doubt. Not the unspoken knowledge that Conrart bore no loyalty to him, but an uncertainty about the nature and capabilities of what he was looking at.

He knew. He knew that Conrart's arm had been cut off. The Key had been removed and most likely used.

What had he been told while Conrart was away in Francia? Who could have told him?

"Well," Belar said, forcing a twisted smile on his face, "they can perhaps still be of some use." He leaned back in his throne, and a shudder passed over all those gathered, like a collective breath of relief.

When Belar turned to look at Antoine again, his anger had been banked and his demeanor again scornful and disinterested, as if the outburst had never happened - as if Francia had never stood on the brink of destruction.

"That is quite the development," Belar said, his tone falsely mild. "Your new alliance will certainly change things, for everyone. I must insist that you accompany back to Big Cimaron... to discuss what this will entail."

It wasn't invitation, or at least not one that could be refused. Swallowing heavily, Antoine nodded and stepped forward. He wanted Belar and the thing he had brought out of his country as quickly as possible. When Lyla moved to follow him, Antoine looked back and shook his head.

"I'm leaving our country in your capable hands, Lyla," he said, smiling tremulously. "See you when I get back."

Soldiers closed in around Antoine, pushing Lyla back. Belar met her glare and smiled mockingly. "Of course, your new friends are also quite welcome. I extend an invitation to the Demon Tribe as well," he said. "I look forward to speaking with your new allies. Do convey that to them, won't you?"

~.~.~

As Yuri's head burst above the water, he looked around frantically. At the very least, they were no longer where they had been. The shore was barely visible and there was no port city in sight. They had escaped successfully.

Murata appeared next to him, also sputtering a little while keeping careful hold on his glasses.

"We did it!" Yuri exclaimed, grinning. Looking around, he paused. "Hey, where's Wolfram?"

"You were the one holding him!" Murata protested.

Yuri flailed for a moment, panicking. Taking a deep breath, he plunged back underwater and looked around frantically. There! A flash of something gold. Swimming toward the drifting figure, Yuri grabbed hold of Wolfram's wrist and dragged him toward the surface.

Wolfram coughed as he surfaced, shaking his head. "Urgh... What happened?" he muttered.

"Murata and I transported us out of there," Yuri said. "Come on, let's head toward the shore. We'll need to figure out where we are."

The other two followed him as he began to swim toward land, though Wolfram protested immediately, "What do you mean, figure out where we are? Shouldn't you know that?"

"This isn't exactly a precise method," Murata explained between strokes. "I wasn't even sure it would work. I tried to aim us toward Ulrike, but... The best I can tell you is that we're still in the same world."

'The gate between worlds remained closed, even though I tried to open it,' Murata thought. 'What's going on with him? Even when I reach out, I can't get a sense of his presence. Ulrike is the same. She said she hadn't heard his voice for years... That's not like him. After keeping such careful control of everything for so long, why would he cut himself out of the game like this? Could it be that he's already...'

"Hey, I recognize this place," Yuri declared suddenly, as they neared the shore. A castle could be seen on, built almost right on the water. Rather than a powerful, defensive structure like Covenant Castle, it appeared almost like a villa, a place of relaxation and ease. "Isn't this the castle we left from? You know, the one that belongs to Miss Celi's friend?"

Wolfram looked up at castle as they swam toward its pier. "That's right. This is definitely the Karbelnikoff territory," he agreed.

"I guess we made it back to the Demon Kingdom after all," Yuri said cheerfully. He hoisted himself up onto the pier and offered a hand down to Wolfram.

"If you had such a convenient way out, why didn't you use it earlier? And why didn't you tell me?!" Wolfram demanded, dragging Yuri close and threatening to drop him back into the sea.

"I told you! We weren't sure it would work!" Yuri protested.

"That's right," Murata agreed, moving onto the peer as well. Taking off his glasses, he tried to wring the water out of his hair. "This isn't some kind of reliable, simple ability either of us has. Shibuya and I need to be able to sync up almost perfectly, with his power and my control, and even then we need all the outside factors to line up. I was only able to open a gate because Ulrike was there to help me anchor it. She's really so dedicated... And although in theory any body of water will do, no matter the size or origin, we wouldn't have been able to make the connection in anything except the sea itself."

Yuri stared at him, lost in the flow of words. Murata had futilely tried to explain the concept to Yuri before, but theory wasn't Yuri's strong suit and as it was, to do his part, he had simply relied on his intuition, rather than any real skill or understanding of what they were doing.

On the other hand, Wolfram nodded, if reluctantly. "I suppose that makes sense," he conceded. "I shouldn't have expected anything more from this wimp."

"I'm not a wimp!" Yuri protested.

"We ran away!" Wolfram shot back. "It's so... disgraceful! And you just surrendered to those troops, letting yourself get captured like that!"

"That was the plan!" Yuri said hotly. "Otherwise, you two would've kept on fighting! One of you would have died!"

"That's the idea!"

"It's not what you want!" Yuri snapped, startling Wolfram into silence. "You don't want him to die."

Unable to answer, Wolfram turned away. As a strong breeze blew in from the sea, all three shivered.

"Yuri, that illusion you used..." Wolfram began instead, his words trailing off uncertainly.

"You mean the flowers? It's just Hanafubuki. It's a really standard one for blinding opponents," Yuri said, a little confused about the change of subjects. "I modified it a little though."

"Yet it took so much practice to get it right," Murata grumbled. "I was so sick of flowers..."

"That's not it! I mean, those flowers..." Wolfram dithered, refusing to look at Yuri. "Where did you see them?"

"Oh, that's right!" Yuri brightened suddenly. "That's what was so weird! There weren't any of them growing at the castle. Are they out of season?"

"Of course there weren't any! I pulled them all out!" Wolfram shouted, spinning around to point angrily at Yuri. "They don't grow anywhere else. They're Mother's special flowers. So where did you see them?"

"Why would you do that? Do you not like that color?" Yuri wondered, cringing a little in the face of Wolfram's outburst.

"It's not the color, it's the name! And don't change the subject!" Wolfram insisted. Backing down suddenly, he glared at Yuri, but the furrow between his brows spoke of his worry, confusion and hurt. "Is this... from what you were saying before? Another thing you received from your previous life?"

Yuri shifted uneasily, his eyes sliding away. "...Not exactly," he admitted quietly. But it was clear that this subject wasn't one he wanted to discuss. "And anyway, illusions are something I learned by myself. There's no way I could have received that!"

Watching him, Wolfram shook his head. "...Fine," he muttered. "But you're telling me everything later!"

With that declaration, he stalked off toward the castle, leaving Yuri to look after him, stunned. Slowly, Yuri smiled. "Okay," he said, though Wolfram could no longer hear him. "I wouldn't want to keep secrets from a friend anyway."

~.~.~

Part II is over. Part III is going to have lots of ~explanations~, so uh, look forward to that.

Just so we're clear, I originally only planned to write three parts, dealing with retrieving the three Boxes. I do have some ideas for another three parts, a kind of second season that would resolve the Originator issue (1. Vandavia conference, featuring Yuri showing his diplomatic skills, haha, 2. Stoffel, Shori and the last Box, 3. time to get possessed) but I would need extra motivation to keep going, hint, hint, hint.

Actually, you guys are doing great and I love you all!


	16. III-1 How it ends

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Yuri's first case as Demon King is a success.

~.~.~

**Part III, Chapter 1**

_How it ends  
_

~.~.~

Yuri stretched, happy to be in clean, dry clothes again. Cautiously, he poked at the outfit Celi and Fanberlain had forced on him. He had been stuck in it for far too long, since he couldn't exactly get a change of clothes in a dungeon.

He had gotten a coat though, and Yuri picked it up, studying it carefully. Nothing about it seemed very Big Cimaron-like, and he wondered where Conrart had gotten it in the first place. How could someone so apparently kind and thoughtful be a heartless traitor? Not to mention what Murata insisted were his hints to help them escape.

Yuri sighed. This world was so confusing.

As he folded the coat carefully, intent on keeping such an important piece of evidence, something slipped out of its pocket, dropping to the carpeted floor. It bounced and rolled to come to rest against his foot.

Bending down, Yuri scooped it up and regarded it thoughtfully. It was the pendant Conrart had asked him to give to the Demon King. It's clear blue color was like the sea outside his window.

Yuri sighed again. Should he have told Conrart he was the Demon King? Would that have helped to convince him to at least explain his actions? Yuri didn't want Wolfram to have to keep worrying about his brother. The same for Celi, and Gwendal too, for all that he had never shown any emotions at all in Yuri's presence.

For that matter, he didn't want Conrart to be miserable either, which he clearly was while working for Big Cimaron. What could be so important that he would refuse to return home and subject himself and his family to all this heartache?

Someone pounded on the heavy wooden door, startling Yuri out of his thoughts.

"Oi, Shibuya!" Murata yelled from the other side. "Are you done yet? We've got visitors incoming."

Opening the door, Yuri asked, "Really? Who?"

"Looks like Lord Von Voltaire," Murata answered. He had changed clothes as well, now in a surprisingly plain outfit he must have borrowed from one of the servants. "Ulrike must have sent him a message as soon as she felt me reach for her. For what I understand, he was pretty close by, in the Von Voltaire territory next door. So he'll be here in a bit. He'll want an explanation, for a lot of stuff."

"Right, let's go," Yuri agreed, fumbling with the jacket and pendant. Murata's sharp eyes darted to it, narrowing.

"You got that from Weller, right? For the Demon King? Let me have a look," he said, reaching out to take it. Yuri frowned, but relinquished the pendant. Even he caught the implication - it wasn't out of curiosity that Murata wanted to look it over, but rather in search of hidden traps.

"...This has the Von Wincott crest in it," Murata noted, peering into the blue stone.

"What?" Yuri's eyes widened, and he stared at the pendant, his mind spinning. "It couldn't be... no way..."

"Shibuya?" Murata asked, looking at his friend in concern. "What is it?"

"It can't be," Yuri insisted. Ignoring Murata's questions, his eyes darted to the side, seeing something else entirely.

He shook his head sharply. "Never mind. Let's get going, okay?" Yuri tried to smile, though he wasn't entirely successful, and Murata continued to watch him carefully as they headed down to the castle gates.

They were just in time to watch the other delegation arrive, Von Voltaire indeed leading the way, his expression particularly forbidding. Wolfram, who had been nervously pacing the courtyard, shuddered a little under the look directed at him by his older brother.

But Yuri's eyes slid past Gwendal, to the bright orange hair of the man riding a little behind him. Whether he had completed his next job or been pulled from it, Josak had come with Gwendal to the Von Karbelnikoff castle.

Seeing Yuri, Murata and Wolfram waiting for them, the men dismounted, and Gwendal strode toward them purposefully. He stopped just short of them, towering over all three. Seemingly forcing himself to remain composed, he gritted out, "I am happy to see you have returned safely, Your Majesty, Your Eminence, Wolfram." The particular intonation on the final name made Wolfram quiver.

"We're glad to be back!" Yuri replied with equally forced cheer. "How have things been while we were gone?"

A muscle in Gwendal's jaw twitched. "Preparations continue apace. Gunther is managing Covenant Castle in Your Majesty's absence."

'He's really laying on the guilt,' Yuri thought, sweating a little. 'Worse than my mom.'

But, looking at him, Yuri couldn't help but smile. A king, especially a talentless newbie like him, couldn't hope to rule without the support of people like him, and Gwendal had been carrying the weight of running the country in Yuri's stead.

"Thank you for all of your hard work," Yuri declared, bowing low at the waist. "I know that I was gone for a long time and that I haven't been very reliable so far. Please be patient with me. I want to become a Demon King who can truly lead our country."

Gwendal froze, staring at him in surprise, while Wolfram made a choking sound. Around the courtyard the staff and soldiers bowed as well, as if feeling uncomfortable having their heads above the king's.

Murata sighed and shook his head. 'Always making a spectacle, Shibuya,' he thought fondly.

Peering up, Yuri saw Gwendal stiffly bow as well, unwilling to insult the Demon King by not reciprocating his gesture.

'I really put him on the spot,' Yuri realized sheepishly.

Both of them straightened, but before Yuri could say anything more, Gwendal turned sharply toward Wolfram.

"Wolfram," he ground out, making his brother jump, "I will hear your report now. Come."

Wolfram followed his older brother into the castle, looking like he was going to into the hands of an inquisition. While Yuri certainly felt sorry for him, he wasn't eager to follow. Better to let someone else break to Gwendal the news of just how many risks he'd taken and stunts he'd pulled. And...

His eyes sought out Josak, his bright hair unmistakable. Smiling cheerfully, Yuri waved to catch the man's attention.

"Hi Josak," Yuri greeted him as he got close. "How did your job go?"

Josak glared lightheartedly. "Not all that well, Your Majesty," he said, his tone almost teasing. "See, His Excellency had certain questions and a few guesses about just how Your Majesty learned about the Box in Francia... He was quite displeased."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to get you in trouble," Yuri said.

"It's alright. As your faithful servant, I will gladly bear the consequences of your decisions," Josak declared. His tone didn't change, but even Yuri could feel the meaning behind the words. It stung, more than Gwendal's scowl and glare.

Yuri let the smile slip off his face. "I suppose so," he agreed quietly. "But the reason you told us about the Box was because you were worried about your friend, right?"

"So someone told you that we served together?" Josak mused, his demeanor unchanging, still lighthearted and relaxed. "I wouldn't say worry is the right word. I'm loyal to the Demon Kingdom, no matter what."

"No one told me, but we met him," Yuri said, shifting uneasily. "Wolfram's brother. There's something I wanted to ask you about him... He gave me this." He held out the blue pendant, showing it to Josak.

Even Josak's composure wavered at the sight. He knew what the pendant was and what it symbolized. "Oh, that..." he tried to play it off, looking away from Yuri. "I'm surprised he'd part with something so valuable to him."

"It was given to him, wasn't it?" Yuri prodded. "Murata said it has the Von Wincott crest inside."

"Yeah. It was given to him by Lady Suzanna Julia Von Wincott," Josak admitted, his gaze growing distant. "They were good friends."

"I knew it... he's her friend, the one she was afraid wouldn't come back..." Yuri muttered to himself.

Josak's eyes narrowed as he stared at Yuri in confusion. "Hey, kid," he began, "what are you..."

"Thanks," Yuri said, smiling up at Josak again. "That really cleared some things up. Don't worry. I'm sure he's got his reasons, and it'll all work out in the end. You have to trust in your friend, okay?"

Before Josak could say anything else, Yuri hurried away. Surreptitiously, he slipped the pendant's cord over his head and let it fall under his shirt.

~.~.~

"-And furthermore, just what is the meaning of the note you left behind?" Gwendal continued.

In front of him, the three recalcitrant boys all sank deeper into their misery. Even Murata's composure was wilting under so much concentrated disapproval, while Wolfram had long since checked out, especially given his prior private "discussion" with Gwendal.

Taking the opening to get out of more lectures, Yuri declared quickly, "That was Murata! He wrote it! I just signed it."

"Don't just sign things!" Gwendal barked. "And why exactly is His Eminence writing your notes for you?"

"I can't read or write the language here," Yuri said, shrugging. Seeing Gwendal's already dark expression darkening even further, he hurriedly tried to change the subject. "Did you get the other thing too? The one about the Demon Flute."

Gwendal simply stared at him for a moment, before closing his eyes as if in pain. "Yes," he said slowly, "we received your formal acknowledgement of the retrieval of the Demon Flute and the end of Gegenhuber's mission." He paused, turning away and taking a deep, calming breath. "Your Majesty, do you understand what that entails? Do you know the circumstances behind that man's situation?"

"Wolfram explained it to me," Yuri said. "But I don't think it's important. I talked to Nicola too."

"Be that as it may-" Gwendal began to say, only to be interrupted by an urgent knocking against the door. "Yes, what is it?" he called out, clearly irritated.

"There's an urgent message from a patrol vessel!" the messenger called out, his slightly quivering voice muffled by the thick wood. "A vessel from Hildyard has asked to be allowed to dock in the Demon Kingdom and to speak with you."

"With me personally?" Gwendal repeated, his eyes narrowing as he strode toward the door.

Yuri and Murata exchanged a look. "You don't think...?" Yuri wondered. "I mean, could we really have beaten them here?"

"They did have to cross by land first, then stop over in Hildyard. That's a pretty big detour," Murata reasoned, pushing his glasses up.

Yuri nodded in understanding and called out to Gwendal, "Please let them through! They're delivering something for us."

'Actually, shouldn't Wolfram have already explained this?' Yuri thought, his eyes darting toward the young nobleman. Wolfram glanced up at him and looked away, shrugging.

'He hadn't expected them to actually go through with it and was covering for Shibuya's rash action,' Murata realized with a sigh. 'He didn't want Shibuya to be blamed if Cavalcade kept the Box. They've really come a long way from that first meeting.'

He smiled, following Gwendal out of the meeting room. Shrugging, Yuri headed after them as well. Only Wolfram lingered, preoccupied with his own thoughts and the secrets of his king.

~.~.~

Per Yuri's request, the Hildyard ship was redirected to Von Karbelnikoff's castle, though it was too large to come in all the way to the castle's pier. Instead, a boat was lowered, and as it approached, Yuri could make out two familiar figures at its head, along with a certain square shape as its cargo.

"Hey! Hello, Mr. Heathcrife!" Yuri yelled, waving his hands energetically as the boat drew up to the pier. Ignoring Gwendal's hissed orders and the soldiers' twitches, he ran up to the foreign delegation and helped Heathcrife climb out of the boat.

"Greetings to you as well," Heathcrife smiled back, again tipping off his hat and hair to reveal his shiny bald palate. Putting it back, he peered at Yuri in surprise. "But my boy, don't you look a little different than before?" Behind him, the cloaked and hooded figure that could only be Hube turned to regard him as well, only to suddenly make a choking sound.

"I was in disguise," Yuri explained, beaming. He waved to the other man as well, though he appeared to be frozen in shock.

"As promised, we have delivered the Forbidden Box to you," Heathcrife continued, gesturing to the large object his sailors were unloading from the boat. "I do apologize for taking so long. You even beat us here, though that might have been for the best."

It was Gwendal's turn to make a strange noise, somewhere behind Yuri.

"Thank you so much. Please leave it to us! We'll protect the Boxes and make sure they are never opened again," Yuri said sincerely.

Murata, who had moved past them to study the Box as it was set down on the pier, nodded slowly. Pulling off the canvas it had been wrapped in, he opened the lid and peered inside. "I believe... yes, this is Hell's Fire in Frozen Land," he said.

Yuri panicked a little as he ducked his head inside the Box, but Murata just laughed, his voice echoing oddly. "It's fine, Shibuya. Without a Key, this is just a wooden box," he said straightening again. "We'll need to move it to the Tomb of the Great One. Ulrike will watch over it, same as Ends of the Earth."

"Got it! Then, Hube can take it to the capital," Yuri decided, heedless of the way the words made everyone freeze in shock all over again. "That's where Nicola is, after all."

Gwendal's wide eyes darted to the man hovering uneasily behind Heathcrife. Under the hood, he could see the familiar features of his cousin, now lined with age and sorrow. His teeth clenched, and his fists trembled.

"You dare... to come back?!" he yelled, startling Yuri and Heathcrife. But Hube only ducked his head, having expected such a reaction.

"It's fine, is it?" Yuri asked, stepping in between the two when he saw Gwendal reach for his sword. "We received the Demon Flute, and it's even been formally acknowledged. So it's fine for him to return."

"That was always only a technicality," Gwendal bit out. "This man has no right to return here. Not after what he did..."

Yuri's eyes flickered toward Hube as the man took a step back, then another. 'This isn't right. It shouldn't be like this,' he thought, his lips flattening in anger.

"Then what does he need to give before he can return?" Yuri asked quietly. Turning to face, Gwendal, he looked up at the man steadily, catching and holding his stony glare. "What will it take? He already gave us the Demon Flute and the Box... and twenty years of his life."

No matter how angry or discomfited he felt under Yuri's piercing stare, Gwendal couldn't look away. The boy's entire demeanor had changed, no longer simply earnest and determined. His focused gaze commanded attention, and his even words cut through the sudden silence.

"How much more do you need? Another twenty years? A hundred? Demon Tribesmen live long lives." Yuri's expression softened just a little, appealing to Gwendal. "But I don't think Nicola has that kind of time. Neither does their child. And... I don't think you do either."

Finally, Gwendal dragged his eyes away, scowling furiously. But under all his anger, Yuri could now see the hurt and hesitation. 'He and Wolfram really are alike,' he thought.

"For those crimes, only a life is a sufficient price," Gwendal said quietly, but he couldn't meet Yuri's gaze, and they both knew that he had not been able to pass that judgment twenty years prior.

Yuri nodded. "That sounds about right," he said. "A life as a father, husband and honorable man of the Demon Tribe. That's the price I'd set."

Slowly, the anger seemed to drain out of Gwendal under Yuri's firm but kind gaze. His powerful frame slumped, and he shook his head.

"If that is your will, we can only obey, Your Majesty," he said, but there was no resentment in his voice.

'Gwendal, you really love your family, don't you?' Yuri thought, smiling. However, even he knew better than to just say that to the man's face.

Instead, he turned to face the Cavalcade-Hildyard delegation behind him.

"It's a bit belated," he said, "but as the 27th Demon King, I would like to welcome you to the Great Demon Kingdom, Mr. Heathcrife."

"Oh my," the man muttered quietly, once again slipping his hat and wig off his head. He had perhaps realized that Yuri was someone more important than he first appeared, being a double black with clear authority, but he had not expected the Demon King himself.

"And you, Lord Griesela," Yuri said, turning to Hube, who stood frozen, unable to keep up with the sudden way his world was tilting on its axis, "I would like welcome back. Welcome home, Hube!"

Startled out of his stupor by Yuri's cheerful exclamation, Hube swayed and dropped to his knees. He bowed his head low, shoulders shaking.

"Your Majesty..." he stammered, unable to find the words.

"I guess you'd rather hear that from Nicola," Yuri mused, chuckling. He shifted awkwardly, his royal mien slipping away. Ducking his head, he said, "I know you want to go see her right away, but please take the Box to the Tomb of the Great One. You got it here safely, so I know it'll be okay with you."

"I will guard it with my life," Hube swore, swallowing heavily.

Yuri's mouth twisted. "If you use up your life so quickly, it won't be much of a repayment," he said, frowning. "You better live for hundred years yet. ...Wait, that's not all that much for the Demon Tribe... Five hundred? To a ripe old age!"

His earnestness never wavered, but his words no longer carried the weight of a king's command. All the same, Hube accepted them with the same seriousness.

"Good luck, Hube," Yuri said, smiling as the man straightened. "Say hi to Nicola for me."

Wolfram groaned. "Don't go back to calling him that!" he complained.

"What, Hube? But that's what Nicola calls him," Yuri said, clearly perplexed by Wolfram's need for decorum.

"She's his lover! It's not the same!"

"I don't think he minds," Yuri pointed out, crossing his arms sulkily.

"He wouldn't mind if you called him a purple maneater," Wolfram shot back.

"Is that some kind of special insult here?" Yuri wondered. "You know I'm not up on that cultural stuff."

"That's not the point-!"

Caught watching the pair argue, Hube started in surprise when Heathcrife placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad," the other man said, smiling. "It seems things will work out for you after all."

Hube glanced away. "Yes... I can't believe..." he murmured. "But, about Greta..."

"You heard what she said when we stopped by Missinigh," Heathcrife said, squeezing his shoulder gently. "She wants you to be with your child. She understands how precious parents are and doesn't want any other child to be as she was, without them." He smiled fondly. "She's such a good girl. You should accept her feelings. Don't worry, Beatrice and I will take good care of her."

All Hube could do was nod. It seemed impossible that things could possibly come together so well, that a man like him could be so lucky.

Unbidden, his single eye slid toward his cousin. Looking up, Gwendal met his gaze for a moment, then moved on. It wasn't quite acceptance, but it was more than he had ever dared hope for.

~.~.~

On the next subject for discussion, how does the other world geography work? None of the maps really match up, in particular in relation to how big the continents are and where they end. The only clear map I'm found is in the manga, which shows that Hildyard is on another continent/island to the south-ish east of the Demon Kingdom and Van Da Via is south of that.

However, the third season has a pictorial representation of traveling to Francia (I watched it too late ;_;) that shows the ship traveling up north and even further east from Hildyard. We know Francia shares a land border with Cavalcade. But isn't Cavalcade also close to the Demon Kingdom? Certainly, them agitating and gathering esoteric users was an issue all the way back in the first Morgif arc. The feeling I got was that Cavalcade and also Sonnegard were practically neighbors to the Demon Kingdom. So how does that work out?

What I'm saying is, I want a nice, labeled map.


	17. III-2 Those that follow

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Yuri deepens friendships and builds new ones, all with the power of _love_.

~.~.~

**Part III, Chapter 2**

_Those that follow  
_

~.~.~

"You summoned me, King Belar?" Conrart inquired, bowing respectfully as he slipped into the audience chamber. As he straightened, his eyes widened at the sight of the figure beside Belar's throne.

"Indeed, Lord Weller," Belar said, smiling. "I wanted to introduce a new addition to my guard. Although it seems you two already know each other... Isn't that right, Adalbert?"

"I wonder," Adalbert commented, aiming his own disdainful smirk at Conrart. "I certain feel like I'm looking at a man I've never met. Perhaps I was mistaken."

Conrart's eyes narrowed as cold fury stole across his face. It took an effort of will not to reach for his sword.

"After all, I cut off that man's arm myself," Adalbert continued, his mocking expression shifting into a harsh glare.

Forcing a faint smile on his face, Conrart spread his arms. "Perhaps that was someone else?" he suggested.

"Yes, it seems that way," Adalbert agreed, his voice heavy with an implication that made Conrart tense.

Belar had been watching their exchange with calculating eyes, but seeing that neither were willing to divulge anything further, he waved one hand in their direction. "Then I will consider this issue resolved," he said. "See to it that no... misunderstandings occur. After all, you are both now serving as comrades, for the glory of Cimaron."

The dismissal was clear, and Adalbert strode away without another word. He passed Conrart as the latter bowed again, shooting him another jeering smirk.

"And Lord Weller," Belar called out distractedly, "see to our guest's accommodations. He is, after all, a member of royalty, no matter how insignificant his country."

Conrart nodded, acknowledging the order. Following Adalbert out of the audience room, he carefully shut the double doors behind them, all the while keenly aware of the danger at his back.

"But you know, that arm was put to good use in Caloria," Adalbert noted, having lingered in the entry hall. "So if that was the real thing, what does that make you?"

"I am simply a man serving under Cimaron's banner," Conrart said. He had no desire to discuss anything with Adalbert, though he wished he knew exactly what the man had told Belar. He understood now why Big Cimaron's king had hesitated in Francia - he had been unsure if the Key he thought he had would even work.

The situation was more complex than Belar knew or could imagine, and Conrart could only guess what the man believed at the moment, though the most likely conclusion was that Conrart wasn't the same Conrart Weller who had held the Key to the End of the Wind and simply an imposter. That could prove very dangerous for Conrart, if his usefulness to Belar was no longer assured.

Adalbert, who held more pieces of the puzzle, continued to watch Conrart with a cold, considering look.

"You must be someone else after all," Adalbert said mockingly. "That man was always so high and mighty about his loyalty to the Demon Kingdom, always looking down on me for turning my back on them. Surely that patriot wouldn't have become a traitor just like me."

As Conrart remained silent despite his baiting words, Adalbert snorted. He turned sharply and began to walk away, the black coat of his new uniform blending into the shadows.

"You were right about one thing, Adalbert," Conrart said quietly, watching his back. He forced his fists to unclench, flexing stiff fingers. "You understood the nature of the Demon Tribe - to always follow the will of the Great One."

No matter what the cost.

~.~.~

"-And thus our first king, hereafter known as the Great One, sealed away the Originators and founded our great nation!" Gunter concluded.

Next to Yuri, Heathcrife nodded thoughtfully. "Fascinating," he said, stroking his goatee. "To think that humans and Demon Tribe were able to come together in this way. Wouldn't it be amazing if we could achieve the same thing as our ancestors?"

It was his fault that Gunter had launched into a four hour lecture about the history of the Great Demon Kingdom (which turned out to be just a shortened name) after Heathcrife had asked, naively, why they were storing the Boxes in a tomb. The older man had held up far better than Yuri, who had barely caught the highlights after the first twenty minutes.

Shaking his head as if to clear it, Yuri said, "I think it would be better if everyone could come together because they want to live in peace, not just because we have a common enemy."

"That would be truly marvelous," Heathcrife said, smiling in that adult way. "And perhaps that goal can one day be achieved, but for now one step at a time may be the way to go, wouldn't you say?"

"Ah, Your Majesty," Gunter breathed, "your lofty goals are simply splendid! I will support you with all the life in this body! With my very soul!"

"Thanks," Yuri said, smiling awkwardly. He had given up trying to deny everyone's vows of loyalty and excessive (to him) devotion after Wolfram yelled at him about rudeness and rejecting his subjects' feelings. It seemed all he could was accept what they offered gratefully and try not to let them down.

"I will support that dream as well," Heathcrife agreed. "As I have told Lord Von Voltaire," he carefully pronounced the full title, knowing now its significance, "I will not allow Cavalcade to be moved to aggressive action against the Demon Kingdom, not even by our allies."

"You'll do that, Mr. Heathcrife?" Yuri asked, his expression bright and eager. He knew that what he believed in was right, but it was still heartening to hear someone agree with him, not just because he was the Demon King, but because they also believed in it.

Heathcrife chuckled. "I may no longer live in Cavalcade, but I was once their crown prince. I wish for the country of my birth to avoid war, if at all possible."

"Of course, of course," Yuri agreed, nodding. As the full meaning of Heathcrife's words reached him, he froze. "Wait. Crown prince?!"

Heathcrife laughed, thankfully amused and tolerant of Yuri's shocked reaction. "It seems I was able to surprise you with my identity as well," he joked. "But yes, the king of Cavalcade is my father. I gave up my claim to the throne when I fell in love with a merchant's daughter, and the two of us moved to Hildyard together. With my brother's passing, my daughter Beatrice is the current heir to the Cavalcade throne."

Staring in shock, Yuri could only nod dumbly. "That explains why you were entrusted with the problem of the Box in Francia," he muttered.

"We will be honored to work with you toward a lasting peace between our nation and Cavalcade," Gunter said far more eloquently, taking over for his shocked sovereign. "We as well have no wish for war."

'That's right,' Yuri thought, relief spreading through his gut as he watched the two older men talk, 'Gwendal won't have to prepare for war anymore. Come to think of it, I should tell him about all this. I wonder where he got off to? I have seen him since around the time Gunter arrived.'

Gunter and Heathcrife had fallen into another discussion of Demon Tribe history, so Yuri took the chance to quietly slip out the door.

Setting out in search of Gwendal, Yuri quickly found himself stymied by the castle's still unfamiliar layout. When he tried to ask the servants, the response was less than encouraging, and not in the usual way. All of them shuddered as soon as he mentioned looking for Gwendal and stutteringly turned to look in the same direction. Some even made signs for warding off evil.

Following their particular brand of directions led Yuri to an isolated wing of the castle. As he walked, strange stains and singe marks began to appear on the walls. Several rooms seemed to have had their doors blown off their hinges. Peering inside, Yuri could sometimes see unidentifiable wreckage in the corners.

Finally, he heard the sounds of a woman's voice, giving strident commands from a room just down the hall. Moving to stand in front of the door, Yuri hesitated before opening it as he remembered the fear in the servants' faces. Just what had scared them that much? Could it be... fear of Gwendal's reaction should Yuri interrupt whatever he was doing? Was Gwendal with his-?

Before Yuri could complete the thought, the woman behind the door barked, "Don't slack off! Jump! Jump!"

That... sounded weird, but not like _that_, at least.

Gathering all his courage, Yuri knocked. Unfortunately, his attempt was far too timid, and the only response was mad laughter from beyond the door. Gritting his teeth, Yuri pounded on the door and called out, "Excuse me! Um, I'm looking for Gwendal!"

There was a moment of silence, then the clicking of approaching heels. Suddenly, the door was flung open, and a young woman with brilliant red hair regarded Yuri impatiently.

"He's busy assisting the progress of my genius inventions!" she declared. "Just have Gunter deal with it!"

She paused, finally noticing Yuri's appearance. Understanding dawned on her face at the sight of double-black coloring.

Feeling thoroughly intimidated, Yuri stammered, "I, uh, would like to speak with him for just a bit...?"

"You must be... the new Demon King," the woman concluded. "I can hardly refuse His Majesty. Please, come in."

As she stood aside, Yuri nervously slunk in through the door. The room beyond looked like a mad scientist's lab, with beakers and burners on the table, strange machinery lining the walls... and Gwendal, confined into one particularly odd apparatus that looked to Yuri rather like a trampoline with monitoring equipment around it.

"I am Anissina Von Karbelnikoff," the mad scientist herself said. "It's an honor to have you visit my laboratory. The reason I have... borrowed Gwendal is to power my latest invention. Let me present it to you, though it's still in the testing phase!"

She gestured grandly toward the trampoline, where Gwendal knelt - or perhaps collapsed - clearly exhausted. Yuri could only stare in bemusement as Anissina began to explain. She looked, if anything, like the kind of heroine his mother would like - passionate, independent and a little eccentric.

"This device uses earth element magical energy to detect movements within the soil and rock. I call it Mr. All Across the World Serenity Sensor," Anissina said, the strange name making Yuri twitch in surprise. "As you know, the Box opened in Caloria created a great deal of instability in the earth. We felt the tremors in some parts of the Demon Kingdom, and small aftershocks continue even now. And the effects didn't just spread out in a circle! They come to a head in unexpected places."

She spoke cheerfully, but her words sent a shiver down Yuri's spine. He could still easily remember the scene of devastation in Caloria. The haunting city, devoid of life and shrouded in mist, the bell tolling its sporadic warning, would remain with him for a long time yet.

Anissina continued on, passionately, "I believe that those areas possess a unique resonance due to having previously been affected by the power of a Box! By feeling the movements of the earth, where there is an answering vibration, we should be able to determine the areas where the influences of the Boxes seeped deep into the ground. And thus, we may be able to find where the Boxes have been, or even where they currently are!"

It took Yuri a moment to realize that her explanation had ended. He had zoned out a little in the middle of her litany of words. It was a bit like listening to Murata when he really got going. Yuri wished that she would provide a short summary, like Murata had taken to doing.

"That sounds very impressive," Yuri finally said, trying to come up with some better response. "It would be very helpful. Have you had any luck?"

Anissina glared at Gwendal, who had recovered enough to shudder and try to back away. "Unfortunately, I haven't been able to gather enough magical energy to properly power my great invention," she said. "I borrowed Gwendal because he's one of the greatest magic users within the Demon Tribe, but even he is insufficient."

"We'd like to have him back," Yuri suggested, a little scared of her. "Mr. Heathcrife and Gunter need him to discuss a peace treaty with Cavalcade."

Her considering gaze turned on him, making Yuri break out in cold sweat. "It's too bad Your Majesty's contract is with the water spirits," she mused. "But I heard that the Demon King should be able to call all spirits to his command..."

Anissina advanced, looking thoughtful, while Yuri retreated desperately. "I-I think that maybe you should use another power source!" he cried out.

"Another power source?" Anissina repeated, drawing back in surprise.

"Yes!" Yuri exclaimed, desperate not to be her next guinea pig. "I mean, if magic power isn't enough..."

"But what could possibly be more powerful than magic?" Anissina demanded, her eyes narrowing.

Yuri panicked, and his mouth moved without any input from his brain. He blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Love!" What was he saying? "That's what my mom said! Love is the greatest power in the world! Love is even stronger than magic!"

Miko Shibuya had indeed said that, and more. Yuri had put it down to the sort of cheesy thing girls liked, and he felt embarrassed just repeating it, even in his desperate quest for survival, but Anissina looked contemplative.

"Love," she repeated. Turning the thought over in her mind, she nodded slowly, then more decisively. "Your mother is a truly wise woman, Your Majesty. Raised by such a fine woman, I believe you will be a good king after all," she said, rather backhandedly. "Yes, love! Haven't kisses been the most reliable way of breaking curses for ages past? Of course!"

Yuri could only stare at her in shock as Anissina began another technical lecture, only this time at no one in particular. He felt a tug on his arm and realized that Gwendal had escaped the device and was pulling Yuri out of the room. Nodding, Yuri followed him.

They needed to escape while they had the chance.

~.~.~

They walked through the castle in silence. Yuri kept stealing looks at Gwendal's imposing figure, but the man's dark expression never wavered. Abruptly, Gwendal stopped, making his companion almost run into him.

"Was it true?" Gwendal demanded. "What you said to Anissina, a treaty with Cavalcade."

"I think so," Yuri stammered uncertainly. "Mr. Heathcrife wants to make sure there's no war between our countries, and I'm sure he can make it happen. He said he's the former crown prince!" Gwendal remained silent, even as Yuri tried to judge his reaction. "...So you don't need to prepare for war anymore," Yuri added quietly, almost pleading.

"...Not with Cavalcade," Gwendal allowed, starting down the corridor again.

Yuri hurried after him, but he could barely keep up with the man's long strides, leaving him too breathless to ask anything further.

"Your Majesty!" Gunter's call reached them as they made their way out of Anissina's off-limits wings of the castle. "Your Majesty! I have urgent news!"

The aide looked oddly serious, to Yuri's perception, as he hurried toward them. He didn't even comment on Yuri sneaking out or try to embrace him, as he had taken to doing since they had been reunited in the Karbelnikoff territory.

"What is it?" Gwendal asked sharply, his darkening even further.

"Your Majesty, did you by chance ask anyone else to do something for you?" Gunter asked, turning to Yuri. When the boy shook his head, he sighed. "I was afraid of that. It seems we have more unexpected visitors. One of our patrol ships reported intercepting a Francian vessel. One of the people aboard claims to be their king's aide and is demanding to speak with us."

"Lyla's here?" Yuri repeated. His expression of confusion quickly gave way to worry and something like fear. "Oh no, it couldn't be..." Spinning around, he hurried away. Over his shoulder, he called out Gunter, "Have them let through! I'll meet with her myself!"

~.~.~

((You know what I wish I could see? Demon Queen Anissina. She's the only one of the Three Great Witches who didn't get a crack at the throne, one way or another. Also, coming with Anissina device names is haaaaard.))

((The names of the Boxes are pretty interesting. Be sure to remember that the End of the Wind and Ends of the Earth are completely different and come from different Japanese words. End of the Wind is more like "finished, over" and Ends of the Earth is more like "limits, boundaries". Hellfire/HellsFire/Hell's Fire in Frozen Land is pretty straightforward, though I've seen Frozen Land also rendered as Tundra.

((Of course, the confusing one is Bottom of the Mirror. Despite what you might have heard elsewhere, it's not the Mirror at the Bottom of the Sea. At all. The Mirror is possessive here, and the word used for Bottom really means bottom, of a river or sea specifically. I think a more refined way to say it might be the Mirror's Depths or the Depths of the Mirror, to keep with the pattern.))

And finally, you guys did pretty good but slacked off a little. You spoiled me! I'm not gonna go back to updating with a dearth of reviews. Or I will, but with greatly hurt feelings.


	18. III-3 Light and shadows

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: It's time for the mission to Big Cimaron. A past that isn't his comes back to haunt Yuri.

~.~.~

**Part III, Chapter 3**

_Light and shadows  
_

~.~.~

"Alright, we'll be arriving shortly, so let's make sure everyone understands what we're going to do," Murata said authoritatively, pushing up his glasses.

'He's really getting in character,' Yuri thought, shivering a little. Even in the ship's cabins it was still quite cold. Seeing snow start to fall as they approached Big Cimaron had been a shock to him. He had been in the other world for quite a while already, but the sudden drop in temperature had been unwarranted. Murata had watched the falling snow with a tight, unhappy expression.

Around the cabin, the rest of their "delegation" had gathered.

Lyla was the only human, her face grim. She still shot Yuri unreadable looks once in a while, ever since she had learned his true identity when she had revealed what happened in Francia and Yuri had freely offered his help in retrieving Antoine. She had probably expected to have to beg, bribe or coerce the Demon Tribe into assisting her. Even Cavalcade, Francia's closest ally, would have hesitated before Big Cimaron's might.

Fanberlain had offered his services again, but Yuri had refused. Seeing what had happened to Antoine when he stood up for the Demon Kingdom, Yuri couldn't bring himself to endanger another ally by having him openly support them. Murata had agreed, saying more pragmatically that Fanberlain could do much more from the shadows, if he wasn't openly linked to them.

Another person who would act from the shadows, though in a different way, was Josak, who casually leaned against one of the cabin walls. His only concession to the weather had been a fur-lined vest. It was, he had insisted, his childhood in Big Cimaron helping him cope with the cold.

After much back and forth, Murata had convinced both Gunter and Gwendal that it would be wisest to send someone Belar would recognize, rather than giving him a new face to focus on. But at the same time, the representatives would need enough authority to bargain with him.

So it was decided that Murata would make use of Belar's mistaken assumption. His hair, mostly grown out already, had been trimmed down until only black remained, and he had been provided with some suitably impressive clothing. Wolfram had also forced his way into the group, under the same excuse of giving Belar something recognizable to focus on and also being Murata's bodyguard. They would be the _omote_ front-face group.

Despite Gunter's protests, Yuri had refused to stay behind. However, he had been firmly forbidden from revealing his true identity. Instead, he would be far out of Belar's sight as part of the second, _ura_ reverse-face team, with Josak.

"Lyla, Lord Von Bielefelt and I, the Demon King, will be the ones to deal with Belar," Murata continued. "Our mission is to distract him, for as long as possible, as thoroughly as possible. Let me do the talking. It should be possible to convince him to release King Antoine, since he's really just being used as bait. If not, then the other team will need to scope out a way to break him out as well."

He nodded toward Josak and gave Yuri a cautioning look.

"And I mean scope out," he emphasized. "Breaking out an important prisoner isn't going to be easy. We'll need to all work together for that. So focus on switching the Box out for our fake and getting out without being noticed."

'I mean it, Shibuya,' Murata thought pointedly, trying to drill the idea into Yuri's head through piercing eye contact.

"Don't get distracted, by anything or anyone," he ordered firmly, almost ominously, his heavy stare passing across Wolfram, Yuri and Josak. There was, of course, only one someone he could have been referring to.

Outside the cabin, voices rose, shouting orders and confirmations. It was time. Together, the five of them rose and turned to face the full majesty of the nation of Greater Cimaron.

~.~.~

Grand double doors opened, admitting them into a cavernous stone hall. Intricate tapestries hung from the rafters, and in the flickering light of the numerous torches, the images of past heroes woven into almost seemed to move.

"Your Majesty, the delegations from Francia and the Demon Kingdom have arrived," the servant who had led them announced, bowing low. Backing away, he shut the doors behind them.

Not allowing himself to show the slightest bit of hesitation, Murata strode down the thick carpet toward Belar's throne. Wolfram and Lyla followed him after only a moment, but Murata knew their attention wasn't on Belar, but rather on the two men waiting near him.

Antoine brightened at the sight of Lyla and the Demon Tribesmen. He looked a little gaunt, most likely from worry, but otherwise unharmed. Next to him, Conrart regarded them placidly, only the slightest narrowing of his eyes hinting at whatever emotions he was feeling.

Murata just hoped Wolfram wouldn't try to attack him again. That would have been a fine way to start off the "negotiation."

Coming close enough to Belar to make a show of politeness, but keeping a careful distance between them, Murata smiled and raised his head, his glasses catching the light. "Greetings, King Belar. We of the Demon Kingdom thank you for your kind invitation. It has been a pleasure to see your beautiful country," he said smoothly, without a hint of ulterior meaning.

Belar's narrowed eyes slid to his short-cropped black hair, a self-satisfied smirk twisting his lips. "I'm glad to see you're so serious about your new... alliance," he said, ignoring propriety to all but openly taunt who he assumed to be the Demon King.

Murata's smile didn't waver. He would just have to use up enough meaningless polite phrases for the both of them and drag this out as long as possible.

"We are honored by Francia's kind regard toward our nation," Murata said, nodding to Antoine. "Their hospitality in welcoming us to their country deeply moved us. We hope that our short visit there will plant the seeds of a long and enduring friendship."

It was clear to everyone that Murata's words were largely empty, though Yuri would have meant all of them, if he had been a smooth enough orator to use them in the first place. Belar's contemptuous expression had taken on an almost bored quality as he listened. Murata could only maliciously hope that he would nod off.

"We are also very grateful to His Majesty Antoine Jean Pierre for going ahead and preparing the way for our discussion," Murata continued in a completely even tone. "We would like to apologize for any inconvenience his prolonged absence may have caused Francia. His aide has prepared a report on the more urgent affairs, to present to him at his leisure."

To her credit, Lyla didn't jump as Murata gestured to her.

"If possible, she would like to update him immediately," he added. It was perhaps less subtle than he would have liked, but Murata honestly didn't think the exact excuse used mattered much. He doubted Belar would care enough about Francia to debate the matter. Antoine had always been simply a pawn to him.

As Murata had expected, Belar simply waved one hand, the many rings glinting in the torchlight. "Very well," he allowed without any interested. He didn't so much as glance at Antoine.

Instead, Antoine's eyes widened in surprise and hope. His gaze flickered, surprisingly, to Conrart, who smile pleasantly. That was all the confirmation Antoine needed to move swiftly away from Belar's throne and join Lyla. His aide didn't pause to do more than sketch a bow before quickly herding her king out of the audience chamber.

"Then, King Belar, honorable delegates, I will join the security detail," Conrart said, bowing to them. Belar watched him leave the room with a considering expression that made Murata wonder about the power balance between them.

Although Murata was tempted to think that Conrart was simply smart enough to take the chance to leave before more boring stalling and word games began, he suspected the man was even smarter than that. His eyes had lingered on the space near Murata and Wolfram as if looking for something, and Murata silently cursed Yuri for making himself so memorable.

'I just hope all our assumptions about him aren't completely off,' Murata thought.

But there was nothing he could do about it either way. Instead, he kept the same bland smile on his face and turned to Belar. It was time to do his part.

~.~.~

Meanwhile, the other team had begun their mission. The mismatched pair cautiously but quickly made their way down the dark, drafty corridors of the isolated Big Cimaron castle, keeping up a steady stream of quiet chatter. It was just how Josak worked, and it helped at least a little to settle Yuri's nerves.

"We should have gone with disguises," Josak said, again. His tone was bordering on a whine. He led the way, his finely honed senses trying to detect any enemy presence in their way.

"As what?" Yuri asked, huffing. He tried to keep his breathing even as he pushed cart with the fake box, which was heavier than he had expected, perhaps because of the luggage they had placed inside, as a last resort excuse in case they got caught.

"Maids," Josak declared firmly.

"So you have Cimaron-appropriate maid uniforms stashed somewhere? In your size?" Yuri shot back. "My concealment illusion is much better anyway." In fact, it was very effective in the shadowy halls. They had managed to sneak out of the more populated parts of the castle easily, without being spotted once.

"But if someone does look directly at us, they'll see right through them, right? That's not nearly as reliable as a good disguise," Josak replied. Despite having no magic or esoteric skills himself, he had caught on to the way illusions worked very easily. It was probably because he was already a master at fooling the senses.

Their entire discussion was ultimately pretty pointless, since their plan hinged on not getting caught at all. If they were spotted, there would be no way real to explain why they were moving a large box around in the parts of the castle they needed to go to, where access was heavily restricted. Instead, Josak had scoped out the basic layout of the palace before they had set out, as well as noting what he could of the guards' patrol routes, which they had then avoided carefully.

Overall, the palace was strangely understaffed. Josak had made jeering comments about Belar's winning personality driving out the rest of his staff and courtiers, but the real reason was probably Belar's paranoia and distrust of even his own servants. It served them well.

"I can't believe we're taking that lord-brat's advice for finding the Box in the first place," Josak complained, switching to another tangent.

"He seems pretty good at predicting things like that," Yuri pointed out. "He really nailed it in Francia."

"I guess it wouldn't be hard for him to think like a stupid, arrogant megalomaniac," Josak muttered, only for Yuri to glare at him disapprovingly.

"Don't say that! Wolfram's not all that bad, even if he's a little selfish and hotheaded," Yuri defended his new friend.

"Still, this is such an amateur, slapdash operation," Josak said, sighing in something like disgust.

"We're desperate," Yuri shrugged. 'If only I was better at scrying or divination,' he thought. 'Sensing something that powerful should be easy. Shori would have been able to find it in no time.' Unfortunately, that had never been one of his strengths.

Josak paused before answering. Instead of shooting back another retort, he stilled and listened intently to something Yuri couldn't hear yet.

"Someone's coming," Josak muttered, waving Yuri back. They had been passing through a large hall and now moved quickly to maneuver the fake box behind a row of pillars, deeper into the shadows.

Yuri could hear what had drawn Josak's attention now - steadily approaching footsteps, heavy and accompanied by an even clinking sound, like metal against stone. A moment later, a man entered the hall behind them, the same way they had come. Tall, broad-shouldered, with wild blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, he cut an imposing figure in his black Cimaron uniform.

Deeper in the shadows, Josak swore and reached for his sword. "That traitor!" he hissed, barely restraining himself from vaulting over the fake box and rushing to attack.

'Traitor?' Yuri thought with a surge of unease.

His intuition was all too right. Despite the concealing illusion, which should have hidden Josak's voice and movements, the man at the other end of the hall stopped short. His eyes narrowed, scanning the long room slowly.

'A traitor from the Demon Tribe,' Yuri thought, his mind spinning. 'Demon Tribesmen can see through illusions more easily. It's like with Hube in Francia!'

Glancing at Josak, Yuri sprang into action. "Get in, quick!" Yuri whispered, opening the fake box. "Come on, come on!"

Already, the man's eyes had locked on the shadowed alcove they had hidden in and he slowly began to approach, reaching for his longsword.

"He'll check in there!" Josak protested. "And there's no way you'll be able to talk your way out!" Not to mention that his entire being balked at the idea of leaving his king to face someone like that alone. No matter what Josak thought of him personally, Yuri was still both the Demon King and just a child.

"There's no time! Hurry up!" Yuri insisted, all but shoving him inside.

They were just in time. The lid of the fake box had only just closed, Yuri leaning against it, when the man's large figure stepped up behind him, his shadow falling across Yuri and the fake box. The man paused in what must have been some surprise at the sight of a boy and a large wooden crate in this largely abandoned part of the castle.

Something about his looming presence sent a shiver down Yuri's spine.

As the man began to approach again, out of the corner of his eye, Yuri could see the spurs on his heavy boots, clinking with every step. His minds frantically searched for excuse to explain his presence and send the man on his way.

'I'll say I'm lost,' Yuri thought. 'It worked twice, right?'

He turned with a smile, ready to make his excuses, but the man spoke first.

"Did you get lost, boy?" the man's voice rumbled, deep and even, with an undercurrent of amused mocking. "This isn't a place you can just wander around in."

That voice... That voice was...

The words withered in Yuri's throat. It was as if the deep, cold sea had crashed over him. Yuri felt frozen and numb, his body suddenly disconnected from him. He felt like he was drowning again, like that day three years before.

That voice was too familiar. It resonated with that deep, hidden part of his soul, pulling up something that swamped Yuri and threatened to submerge his very sense of self. It was as if the earth under his feet was no longer solid, and the air in his lungs had frozen solid.

His hand clenched around the edge of the wooden box. Without warning, that became his only anchor as the world vanished into darkness, his sight suddenly failing because... because...

He had been silent too long, and the man had lost all patience. "Well, speak up, boy!" he barked, making Yuri shudder.

His heart was pounding a crazed uneven rhythm. No, another heart was pounding in his chest, beating a rhythm not his own. An overwhelming feeling of grief and regret was surging through his veins. It wasn't his. It was...

"Adalbert," someone else called out, "what is going on here? What are you doing?"

Wasn't that voice familiar too? But it wasn't the same. The terrible riptide of foreign-familiar feelings began to recede, leaving Yuri weak and shaking. He blinked desperately, the utter blackness fading into deep shadows as his sight returned.

"No need to concern yourself," the man - Adalbert - said, his tone becoming disdainful. The sound of his voice changed as he turned away from Yuri. "I was just questioning this little stray."

"He's not going to be able to answer in that state," the other man reasoned calmly. "He's terrified of you." Another pair of boots entered Yuri's field of vision as he came to stand beside Yuri. A warm hand was placed on his shoulder.

This man was familiar too, Yuri realized, but that memory came from himself. It was Conrart. '...I see. It's different. She didn't have the same regrets about him,' he thought. 'She was worried about him, but she made her peace. Not like...'

Adalbert snorted, making Yuri shudder. "I'll leave shepherding this little lamb in your hands," he said dismissively. "While I attend to the castle's security."

"Thank you for your hard work," Conrart replied mildly.

Adalbert's spurred boots turned and disappeared from Yuri's sight, his brisk footsteps fading away. As the tension drained away, Yuri's legs gave out, and he slid to the cold stone floor.

Conrart crouched beside him, looking him over with an expression of concern. "Are you alright? Did he do anything to you?" he asked in an even, calming tone.

Unable to find words, Yuri just shook his head rapidly. He was still shaking a little.

Conrart frowned faintly, but there was little else he could do. He had recognized the boy from Francia right away, though his hair appeared much darker in the flickering torch light. He even still wore the jacket Conrart had given him. When he finally glanced at Conrart, his face was pale and shaken, but he appeared unharmed. His wide eyes were dark and unfocused.

What could Adalbert have said? He didn't appear to have actually done anything.

A sudden thought occurred to Conrart. "Could it be you're affected by esoteric stones after all?" he wondered, helping the boy to his feet. His hand was cold and clammy. "You're a half-breed, aren't you?"

Swallowing, Yuri answered haltingly, "Yeah, I am. My mom's a human..."

"I've never heard of a half-human being affected like that," Conrart mused, but that was the only explanation he could think of. "I don't know how Adalbert manages to carry a stone with him. He must have truly turned his back on the Demon Tribe..."

Not that Conrart had any right to talk.

"I'm fine. I just got dizzy all of a sudden," Yuri insisted, his voice growing steadier. He looked up, his gaze once more firm and clear. "I got lost," he said with a straight face.

"I see," Conrart agreed mildly. His eyes darted to the box beside Yuri. "Well, be sure to not get lost one floor down, a little to the west. That is the king's private wing, and any trespassers will be executed without trial. There are traps as well."

"Okay," Yuri agreed. "Um, you don't need to see me back. I'm sure you have important things to be doing."

"Yes, I need to return to my duties," Conrart said agreeably.

Yuri managed a smile and waved as the man departed. Once he had gone, Yuri knocked on the wooden box lightly, and the lid swung open. Josak emerged, his usually easygoing expression serious and guarded.

"What was that?" he asked, quickly checking around them as he climbed out.

"What was what?" Yuri asked absently, his attention clearly elsewhere.

Josak's piercing blue gaze fixed on him for a long moment, his lips pursing, before he shook his head. "Never mind. We'll talk later. For now, we've got to get us a floor down and westward."

"Hm? Isn't that where we're not supposed to go?" Yuri wondered.

"Yes, well, I'm starting to see what you and His Eminence meant about the captain," Josak said. Momentarily pulled out of his thoughts, Yuri blinked up at him.

"Oh," he realized. "Oh, I see."

~.~.~

So I was thinking, how often do you see a young male character who was reincarnated from a kind, gentle woman (with a hidden spirited side) and is protected by her former protector?

Well, there's Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteru. Hm, UraBoku crossover? Demon Tribe as Opast? Anyway!

There's also Black Blood Brothers.

It's not quite the same, but I always feel like Silver Diamond is also similar, since all Sanome are meant to be women, but Rakan's a guy (though the mechanics there are different).

Hm, is that all? I thought there would be more.


	19. III-4 Light and shadows II

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Yuri does something stupid. Fortunately (?), his special brand of stupid has rubbed off on everyone else.

~.~.~

**Part III, Chapter 4**

_Light and shadows II  
_

~.~.~

Belar lasted much longer than Murata had expected, though his barbed replies had grown outright vicious by the end of the day.

They hadn't actually accomplished anything at all, except insulting each other's theoretical lineage and tastes in decorations. But if Murata was reading Belar right, the man wasn't in a hurry. He seemed almost amused by Murata's stalling tactics.

As far as Belar was concerned, he had the Demon King and by extension the Demon Kingdom right where he wanted them. If anything, Murata had reassured him that he had no intention of leaving.

'I wonder what his final plan is?' Murata wondered. 'Hostage taking and blackmail? If he announces war on the Demon Kingdom, while the Demon King is in his control, they'll have no choice but to surrender. Or is that too subtle for Belar? Maybe he'll just go for a public execution.'

Either seemed possible.

Murata sighed. 'Yeah, we've gotta get out of here quickly.'

As the long audience finally drew to a close, Murata and Wolfram were greeted by Conrart, who had taken up guard outside the throne room.

"Please allow me to escort you to your chambers," he said politely, bowing.

"That sounds fine," Murata agreed, smiling as he pushed up his glasses. "In fact, there's something I want to discuss with you."

Wolfram's glare turned on him next, but Conrart's expression remained unchanged as the three of them set off through the castle halls. Once Murata thought they would not be overheard, he began.

"We don't have a lot of time, so I'll be blunt," he said in a flat tone. "Did you receive orders from the Great One?"

Stumbling, Wolfram seemed to choke on his breath. His brother's reaction was more subdued, but equally telling. Even Conrart's steady demeanor cracked, as he stared at Murata in shock.

"I see," Murata said, his lips pursing. He shot Wolfram a quick look that told him to wait. "Don't look at me like that. It's not that strange an assumption. There are very few ways for someone to regain a lost limb, you know. The kind of power that requires narrows the possibilities even further. With the Keys and Boxes involved, it even has a kind of logic to it."

He had continued walking steadily, forcing Conrart and Wolfram, once he had recovered, to follow him. 'This isn't really the way I prefer to do things,' Murata thought unhappily, 'but everything else is completely out of whack too, so why not?' Though he tried to hide it, his gut churned uneasily. He'd had trouble pinning down the sensation that kept him so irritable and on edge, but in he had finally understood - it was fear.

Things were moving quickly toward the inevitable conclusion, but Murata couldn't see what that end would be. He was caught blind, like everyone else, and all he could do was hope and believe. It was unsettling. Terrifying.

"That arm is also a Key," Murata said with certainty. His dark eyes met Conrart's firmly. "I don't know what he told you, but you should know his plans are never as straightforward as they may appear. His orders are always meant to maneuver, not necessarily to be followed faithfully. Even I don't know what he's thinking," he seemed almost bitter at the admission, "but I would say there was some meaning in placing a Key so close to its Box."

There could only really be one meaning to that action, and the thought of it was a cold weight on Murata's thoughts. 'What Shibuya said about their meeting, cutting contact with Ulrike like that, and now this,' he thought. 'It's all adding up to just one thing. Did you... run out of time?'

Murata looked away, the expression in his eyes distant and burdened. "And... I don't think we should count on him so much," he added quietly.

They walked the rest of the way in heavy silence. As they reached their destination and paused at the doors of the suite, Conrart leaned in and said, "The guard shift change will be at midnight."

"Should we wait for you then?" Murata wondered, looking up with a smile and lifting his eyebrows suggestively.

Conrart's expression was mask-like as he drew back, but there was a hint of something unreadable in his eyes. As the man smiled placidly, bowed and departed, Murata sighed. 'I just can't pull it off like you, Shibuya,' he thought, shrugging. 'But, I tried.'

~.~.~

At midnight, Adalbert stalked through the castle halls. Since the arrival of the Demon Kingdom and Francia delegation, he had been on edge, expecting something, anything to happen. But aside from speaking to Belar for hours on end, they had done nothing except retire peacefully for the night.

Or was there something else? There had been that strange incident that Weller interrupted. In any case, they almost certainly had what they came for.

Adalbert scowled, remembering how Belar had dismissed him when he tried to push things along. 'He's just letting things drag on to savor his own satisfaction,' Adalbert thought scornfully. 'Pathetic, arrogant fool.'

He expected them to make a break for it during the guard changeover. He had seen Weller making his own rounds earlier and that only solidified his suspicions.

The guards, however, were lax. Stepping lightly, Adalbert easily walked up to the pair guarding the delegates' suite without them even noticing.

"Report!" he barked, watching them jump to attention. It was truly a pathetic sight.

"Sir!" one of them stammered. "Everything's been quiet! They haven't come out since retiring for the night!"

Their report didn't mean much to Adalbert. His instincts were telling him that he was missing something. Something had already occurred.

Adalbert glared at the thick wooden doors, willing them to burst open as the Demon Tribesmen inside attempted to escape. He would cut them down without mercy, even that supposed Demon King and the little lord brat.

Had they already done something? Was this group perhaps just a distraction?

Tension continued to build in his powerful form, muscles coiling in preparation for something. All he needed was some trigger to act.

Footsteps approached, and Adalbert's eyes darted toward the new arrivals. Accompanying the two fresh guards was Weller himself, which only further agitated Adalbert's battle-honed instincts.

"Overseeing the guard change?" Weller asked mildly, that same meaningless expression on his face. "Your dedication is admirable."

Adalbert didn't allow himself to be needled into a reply.

Weller's demeanor was unreadable, a stark change from the sullen, angry man he had once been, but it simply seemed to be the way he had become in the twenty years since. He watched the guard changeover calmly, giving no indication of what he was thinking or feeling.

Adalbert's teeth gritted as nothing happened, the old pair of soldiers quickly departing as two of their comrades took their place.

Had his instincts been wrong?

But no. Watching Weller, Adalbert's eyes narrowed. Why had the man come with the new guards? Why had he lingered there? What was he waiting for?

Abruptly, Adalbert burst into action. The startled guards jumped aside as he stormed up to the thick wooden doors of the visitors' suite and, without even pausing to knock, simply kicked them in.

"Wait!" Weller protested, but the rest of his words were lost as Adalbert stalked into the dark rooms. They were cold, the fires having been allowed to go out. Kicking open to door to the inner chambers, Adalbert felt a frigid wind ruffle his hair and tug at his cloak.

On the far side of the room, one of the windows stood open. A rope of white cloth stretched to it from where it was anchored by one of the beds. As Adalbert leaned out, he could see its long tail flutter beside another window a floor down.

Cursing, Adalbert turned away. "What are you standing there for? Sound the alarm! The Demon Tribesmen have escaped!" he barked to the shocked guards.

Weller had moved past him to look out the windows as well. Adalbert's eyes narrowed as he watched the other man lean out. His expression remained neutral, but something about his eyes was almost melancholy.

Adalbert snorted, turning sharply and hurrying on his way. The hunt was on, and he had prey to pursue. He ignored Weller's footsteps following in his wake. Let the man come. Though Adalbert had no doubt that Weller was playing some game, he didn't see any need to try to stop his inevitable betrayal. In the end, Weller would give Adalbert reason to finally kill him, and that would be all.

~.~.~

The snow had stopped shortly after they departed from Belar's castle, but it had continued long enough to cover their initial tracks. Instead, thick mist began to roll in as they approached the coast... and their rendezvous point.

"We'll have to ditch the sled soon," Murata muttered.

He was right. Among other reasons, the ground was quickly becoming too rocky and the snow too thin for the sled to still be of use.

"Better hold off on that a bit," Josak said suddenly, his keen eyes peering behind them. "I think they finally noticed we're gone."

Startled out of his thoughts, Yuri glanced back over his shoulder. In the distance, small lights had begun to swarm around the isolated castle, spreading out like sparks from a wildfire. If he listened carefully, Yuri thought he could almost hear their urgent shouts.

"Let's hurry and get to the canyon," Murata said quietly, leaning toward Josak. "We'll have to leave the horses them, but so will anyone who's following us."

Antoine had paled even further, but his hands remained admirably steady as he urged his horse on, Lyla faithfully following. The sled, guided by Josak, followed them, its smooth glide having become rather rough. Yuri hadn't noticed the transition, sitting next to the Box and lost in thought.

However, he couldn't miss the way Wolfram lingered at the outcropping, his eyes turned back toward the castle and the advancing pursuit. Murata fell back with him, the two of them exchanging meaningful looks. From Yuri's experience, Murata was reminding Wolfram not to do something stupid, like running off, for example.

Thinking about it, Yuri realized Murata had been focused on Wolfram since their group had reunited. He couldn't help wondering what had happened between the two to make Murata so preoccupied. That was probably the only reason Murata hadn't noticed Yuri's own distracted tells. Usually, his friend was quite good at determining when Yuri was about to pull some reckless stunt.

"This mist is getting pretty thick," Yuri noted when they dismounted. The area around them had become too rocky for the sled, or even the horses. Stones and outcroppings loomed in the fog and darkness, providing good cover for their escape. "I'll cover for us with an illusion."

Murata and Josak nodded absently, both more focused on the Box. They would have to carry it the rest of the way. "Trying to get out of doing your part, kiddo?" Josak teased on reflex.

"Maybe I should..." Antoine began, sounding uncertain, but Lyla shook her head. It was pretty clear he wouldn't be much help with such a physical task.

"It's fine. Lord Von Bielefelt and I can do between us," Murata said, pushing up his glasses. They had gotten a little fogged over from the high humidity and the exercise. "It's not that far to the rendezvous point."

Wolfram shot him a dark glare but couldn't find any reasonable grounds to protests. Instead, the two boys both bent their shoulders under the carrying pole and hauled the Box up, with Josak taking the other side.

"Let's get going!" Yuri urged, hurrying to fall in step with the Francian pair. He let Lyla lead the way, using the directions Josak had given her.

As they walked, he slowly pushed more and more of his magic into the illusion, letting it spread out over the entire area. Lyla's eyes narrowed as the mist grew almost impenetrable around them and their footsteps faded away into almost nothing. Antoine all but clung to her, and even Josak had moved closer in, the Box and its other carriers following.

Preoccupied with their assigned roles, none of them noticed Yuri gradually move further and further from the group, then fall back and allow them to disappear into the mist.

With his magic so deeply saturating the area, he could almost feel everyone who passed through. A few Big Cimaron soldiers had wandered close, but the mist and shadows had easily confused them, forcing them to circle aimlessly far behind.

Only one had continued determinedly onward, heedless of the mist and the confuddlement illusion.

Yuri breathed in slowly, feeling the dampness of the air as it clung to his skin and leeched into his hair. Magic pulsed through his veins with every heartbeat. He could feel the moon in the sky and the nearby sea. Its pounding waves, still distant, sounded like the second heart that had still not quite fallen silent.

'I have to deal with this,' Yuri thought. 'Just me. It's what I owe to her for saving me three years ago.'

Slowly, Yuri began to make his way to meet him, the man that Julia had loved.

~.~.~

"Alright, this is it," Josak said, carefully lowering his side of the Box. He peered out across the dark sea, then let his eyes sweep down the cliff, there a narrow path led to water. "We're a little early, but they'll be here to get us soon. Keep an eye out."

Lyla nodded sharply, while her king sagged a little, exhausted simply from their trek to the sea.

Behind Josak and the Box, Wolfram simply dropped to the ground, the exertion apparently too much for him. Murata was barely better, bending over and gasping for air. Reaching for his fogged over glasses, he tried to wipe them off with one sleeve.

Murata paused, his expression twisting. "...Where's Shibuya?" he asked, straightening and looking around their group with deliberate care.

It took only a single chilling moment for Josak to understand what he meant.

They had lost the Demon King. Gwendal was going to kill him.

"Did he get lost in the mist?" Antoine wondered, looking honestly worried for the boy.

"He couldn't have," Murata said. "It was mostly his own illusion. He..." His lips narrowed as something very unfortunate seemed to suddenly occur to him. "He would have to do it on purpose," Murata finished quietly. "Wolfram and I were in the back and busy, he went to the front and... Why? What could he be doing? No, it doesn't matter. Of course Shibuya would go back. Why not?"

Shaking his head, honest anger and agitation across his features, Murata quickly collected his thoughts and said, "Alright, I have to go back to find him. Make sure the Box gets to the Demon Kingdom. I'm entrusting you with this."

"I'm coming too!" Wolfram protested, straightening with an effort. He was still flushed, but his eyes were determined. To Josak, it was strange to see the lord brat look so honest and driven. "I can't let you two wimps run off on your own. Even if you find him, what will you do? Not to mention everyone thinks you're the Demon King!"

Josak nodded. "Count me in. Can you imagine what Lord Von Voltaire will do to me if I return without the Demon King or his brother?" he joked, but his expression quickly became serious. "In fact, it would probably be better if you two went with the Box instead. I can get around much easier than either of you, and I know Big Cimaron well."

"Not a chance," Wolfram shot back.

'Isn't this scene kind of familiar?' Murata thought, pushing his glasses up. He was still so very angry, at Yuri and at himself. He should have settled the matter with Wolfram and instead focused on keeping track of Yuri, like usual. What could have possibly prompted this? There must have been a reason, something that Murata missed.

"Alright, we already know how to deal with this," Murata said, glancing at Wolfram. Turning to the Francians, he dipped his head. "I'm sorry to cause you more trouble like this, but please make sure the Box is taken to the Demon Kingdom. You'll be able to arrange for a ship back to Francia there. Don't let them hang around here. We'll find another way back."

'I hope.'

Antoine stared in surprise, then smiled. "Of course. We will be happy to visit your homeland. We'll be waiting for His Majesty there, to formally sign the first treaty between our two nations," he said, making even Murata pause.

"Shibuya will be happy to hear that," Murata mused. "We'll make sure he doesn't keep you waiting."

~.~.~

((Anyway. You were clearly all unimpressed by the last chapter. Well, you're going to be even more unimpressed by the next chapters, haha... ha... ha... Oh man, they're so bad. Just... why did I ever decide to write something like that? Why? I don't even know. You know how sometimes, you come with this great plan and it sounds totally awesome, and then later you look back on it and think, "Wow, I was so lame. This is terrible." Well, it's like that. And it's honestly too late to change it much...

((And after that, it's like four chapters-worth of wrap up and explanations. Wow. I planned this so badly...))

Maybe I shouldn't post the rest. Just... leave it like this. No ending is better than a bad ending, right?


	20. III-5 I laughed and lived

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Yuri shows Adalbert the past, how Yuri saw just a single glimpse of war.

~.~.~

**Part III, Chapter 5**

_I laughed and lived_

~.~.~

Adalbert stopped, raising his sword slightly. His experienced eyes ran over the misty landscape of jagged stones and shadows.

Smirking, he called out, "Come out! You can't hide from me!"

A slight figure stepped out of the shadows and approached him slowly. As features drew into focus, Adalbert could see that it was the boy from before, the one who had been so scared. Or had that just been an act?

"I wasn't trying to hide," the boy said, in a low voice devoid of fear.

In the faint light of the full moon, it took Adalbert a moment to realize that something was different. Magic clung to the boy's skin, making his clothes and hair sway gently.

His hair was black, as were his eyes.

"Double-black," Adalbert muttered to himself, smirking. "Then you must be... Not bad. Even I was fooled. Well then, Demon King, do you plan to strike me down?"

The boy shook his head. "No," he looked away, oddly uncertain. "I didn't come here for that. The reason I wanted to meet you was... because of Julia."

Adalbert's eyes widened, shock catching him off guard for a moment. Just the sound of her name was like a blow to the chest. Then, anger surged. "What do you know about Julia?!" he demanded, gesturing with his sword. "She died because of your precious Great One! Long before you were even born!"

"That's true," the boy said quietly, looking so damnably sad. "But... she hadn't wanted this for you. That's why she didn't want you to know. But if it's already like this... I can tell you, what happened before she died. Do you want to know?"

'Yes,' Adalbert thought immediately. The very notion of finally knowing the truth was enough to make him lose all common sense and caution. Before he knew it, he had taken a step toward the boy, his sword lowered.

But somewhere in his heart, something small and scared shyed away. What kind of truth would Julia have hidden? How terrible would it be, and could what remained of his heart endure it? Or... would it be the opposite...?

Or, perhaps, it would all be lies. Why would the Demon King tell him the truth? Perhaps this was all a distraction, even. Better to strike him down now, before he could act out his whatever ugly plan he had...

The boy held out one delicate hand, and all Adalbert could see was Julia, reaching out so many times, never knowing if anyone was even there, but still so sure and trusting.

Adalbert's large hand closed around that small one, his grip tight and trembling faintly.

The boy's magic surged for a moment, and the shadows around them began to deepen, growing thicker and darker until their surroundings had disappeared completely. Even the sound of the sea against the rocks had vanished into the void.

"This is an illusion," the boy said, his voice even but also unsure. "I don't think I could explain it with just words. I'll show it to you, my memories of how I met Miss Julia."

"Met...?" Adalbert repeated, disbelieving.

The boy nodded. Hadn't he himself agreed he was only born after Julia died? How was that possible?

"The first thing I remember is hearing a voice, from somewhere far away..."

Everything in Adalbert stilled, caught in a single moment, as that voice reached them.

"I understand. I will do my part," a woman said quietly, her voice gentle, soft and so very sad.

'Julia...' Adalbert's heart beat in memory of that voice, that name. 'Julia. Julia.'

"As one of the Demon Tribe, I obey your will, Great One," she said, somewhere he couldn't reach. "If that is what is required of me, then I will die for our great kingdom."

Then, Adalbert understood what he was hearing. It was as he had always suspected, as he had known. Julia had been ordered to die, by the Great One himself. A woman like Julia knew her limits. She knew that saving one less person today would mean living tomorrow and saving a dozen. She was not that foolish, surely...

His teeth gritted painfully, and his hand tightened around the boy's, but he didn't flinch or try to pull away. He just looked sad.

"There are a lot things that aren't clear to me," he said, "but as I understand it, Miss Julia was very perceptive. Or, I guess, she could perceive things that were hidden from other people. Because of that, despite not being a priestess, she could hear the Great One's voice. He was able to relate his plan to her - how the war would end, and what would happen after. And also, who would become the next Demon King."

A faint, ephemeral light had begun to gather. Both turned to look up as power swelled, forming a swirling maelstrom in the air.

"What is that?" Adalbert wondered, his brows furrowing.

"That is the Great One's power," the boy said, something passing across his face.

Out of the corner of his eye, Adalbert caught a flicker of movement, something pale against the darkness. His eyes widened as he tried to turn, catching just a glimpse of that longed-for face and figure.

Julia. Julia stood beside them, her face tilted up as well. She must have felt the sheer power gathered, but she didn't look afraid.

She reached out and stepped forward. Instead of running into them, her hands passed through the pair, like a ghost's, her pale figure gliding through the two men as she walked toward the sphere of magic.

Guiding her hands along its edges, Julia allowed her magic to run into it as well, a familiar warm flow that was engraved into Adalbert's memory.

"What's happening?" Adalbert demanded, unable to tear his eyes away. "What is he doing to her?!"

"The Great One combined his power with Miss Julia's," the boy said quietly, "using her as an anchor and a focal point."

The great swell of magic suddenly drew in on itself, compressing and shrinking into a small sphere. Inside, the faint outline of curled up figure could be seen. Julia moved toward it, reaching out instinctively, and let her hands pass inside the cocoon of magic. As they curled around the figure within, a child, Adalbert could just make out, the last of that great power seemed to disperse, sending the one it had protected - or perhaps created - falling into Julia's arms.

She held the child carefully and stroked back its hair, her sightless eyes still focused on some point far above. Slowly, the child stirred and sat up. It was boy, Adalbert could see, dressed in dark pants and a short-sleeved white shirt of strange cut.

In the faint, flickering light it took him a moment to realize the boy's hair was pure black and, as he blinked awake, so were his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Julia asked softly, drawing back a little to give the boy some space.

"Um... I don't know," he mumbled. His eyes were confused and a little unfocused as he looked around the large chamber, which Adalbert finally recognized to be the center of the Tomb. "What's going on? I just... must be having a really weird dream."

"Oh? I suppose so," Julia said, smiling faintly. "I guess you could say this is a dream, of another world and another life."

"Wha.. what does that mean?" the boy wondered. "Mm, how did I even up here?"

"Hm, it's just a dream, right? What's your name?" Julia asked instead of answering, and that was just like her. She had often done that to Adalbert too, floating away from his questions as if nothing could hold her down.

"I'm Yuri," the boy said, getting caught up in her pace.

"I'm Julia," she said, carefully reaching out and ruffling his hair. The boy made a face. "Come on, a dream isn't any good if you don't enjoy it, right?"

"It really felt like a dream. I knew who I was, but I couldn't remember how I got there at all," the same boy, only a little older, said to Adalbert, still holding his hand. "And somehow, it didn't seem to matter much..."

"What's happening? I don't understand," Adalbert said. "Something like traveling to the past, is that really possible?"

"It's not really," the older Yuri said as Julia pulled his younger self out of the cavernous main chamber of the Tomb. "It's not time travel. I don't think even the Great One could do something like that. It was only a vision of the future, given form through the power of the soul."

Numbly, Adalbert allowed himself to be drawn after Julia's figure, out into the Tomb's courtyard. It was early evening outside, and the moon was just rising. As they passed the fountain, he could see that neither he nor the older Yuri had a reflexion. They were simply observers in a memory that had taken place twenty years before.

All they could do was watch.

The water in the fountain rippled oddly as Julia and the younger Yuri passed by, as if drawn toward their very presence.

"Wow," the younger Yuri murmured, looking around in wonder. "The sky is so clear. I've never seen the stars look so bright..."

Julia smiled at his innocent amazement, taking a deep breath of the fresh night air as well. "This is the Great Demon Kingdom," she explained, simultaneously herding him on and letting him lead her. "It's home to us, the Demon Tribe. It's a wonderful place..."

Her voice was tinged in sadness, and Yuri turned to look at her with slowly deepening concern. Without thinking, he gently squeezed her hand.

The sound of footsteps and armor came from around the corner as the Tomb's guardians continued their patrol. Glancing in the direction of the noise, Julia quickly pulled off her cloak and handed it to Yuri.

"Here, put this on," she said.

"But won't you get cold? I feel okay," Yuri protested, making Julia smile and ruffle his hair again.

"Aren't you a gentleman," Julia beamed. Her smile widened as she pressed more firmly and scrubbed his scalp in a classic noogie, the way she had to her poor brother Del so many times.

"Wah, ow, ow, ow! Okay!" Yuri protested, quickly pulling on the cloak and flipping the hood up just to get away from her.

"Lady Von Wincott!" one of the guardian maidens hailed her as the patrol passed by. "Your audience with the Great One..."

"It was successful," Julia said evenly, her smile unchanging. As the guard's eyes slid to Yuri's hooded figure, looking quite ridiculous in the oversized garment, Julia added, "Oh, this is my nursemaid's cousin's daughter's friend. She's quite a tomboy, and her family started getting worried about her finding a husband. Then they heard that if you can get a bearbee to give you a selenia blossom, a husband will be assured, but of course, selenias only grown in the south, so they sent her to their cousin's family in the Karbenikoff territory, but the road was washed out. It's a bit of a long story since then, but she'll be staying in castle for a bit."

After a stuttering pause, the guard nodded, apparently accepting the explanation or perhaps not wanting to inquire about the rest. Saluting, she rejoined the patrol, while Julia turned away, satisfied.

"She? Why am I a she?" Yuri hissed, tugging at her sleeve unhappily.

"Only women are allowed in the Tomb of the Great One," Julia replied serenely.

"...You're really weird," Yuri muttered.

Julia smiled like a saint and herded him outside, or at least in the direction of a wall next to the gate. Yuri felt a bit tempted to let her walk right into it, but his mother's good teachings made him sigh and corrected her course. Julia's smile made him feel like he'd passed some pop quiz.

They walked down the narrow path hand in hand until they drew closer to the main road. As they crested the hill, Yuri stopped, staring in surprise.

The main road was filled with men, horse, wagons and carriages all hurrying onward to and from the capital, a procession of torches all along the path. But they weren't merchants or travelers. Even Yuri could see they were almost all soldiers. He swallowed heavily as he saw the telltale signs of wounds on many of them.

"Miss Julia..."

"The Great Demon Kingdom is a wonderful place," Julia repeated. "But right now, we are at war." Shaking her head, she tried to push Yuri onward, but he stood rooted in place, still staring down at the road. A medical wagon was passing, the most heavily wounded laid out inside it. At the sight of one man, missing an arm, and his companion, his head almost completely swathed in bloody bandages, Yuri paled even further. His hand, in Julia's, had become cold and clammy.

"War...?" he repeated, as if he barely knew how to pronounce the word.

"Do you not have war where you come from?" Julia wondered. Her expression softened, but underneath, there was something pained and despairing. "It's terrible, but it will end. ...If only through more blood."

Yuri shook his head furiously. "That's not right! War shouldn't... war should never happen! People getting hurt like that can't be right!"

"There things worth fighting for," Julia said neutrally.

"Making sure war doesn't happen is worth fighting for," Yuri insisted, puffing up angrily.

Julia smiled, reaching out to pat him on the head. "Yes, I think so too. It's my wish that the Demon Kingdom find peace."

As they moved down to the road, keeping to the side, Yuri's troubled eyes still followed the wounded men. Julia squeezed his hand, but he could tell that her fingers were shaking too. Looking up at her, Yuri could see the strain beneath her kind, gentle features.

~.~.~

((This chapter... what was I thinking when I planned it? No, really. I don't even know. Obviously, this is basically episode 52 Conrad Standing Tall, but I also used a bit of episode 44 The Phantom Girl. Julia is haaaard.))

In my mind, Yuri calls Julia "nee-san". "Neesan, you have to believe in your friend!" "You're horrible, neesan!"


	21. III-6 I laughed and lived II

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: The past, part 2. Yuri sees some familiar people and disagrees with Julia.

~.~.~

**Part III, Chapter 6**

_I laughed and lived (II)_

~.~.~

"W... woah!" Yuri drew out, craning his head back to stare up at the castle. Leaning too far backward, he almost tumbled over, only just righting himself by pinwheeling his arms.

"This is Covenant Castle. It's where our ruler, the Demon Queen, lives," Julia explained, smiling again. "It's impressive, isn't it?"

"Yeah! It looks amazing," Yuri exclaimed, only to pause. "But you..."

Julia shook her head. "I don't need to see it to know how impressive it is. I've walked along all the towers and walls."

"Really? You've been there? Then have you met the Demon Queen? I bet she's really pretty! Oh..." Yuri trailed off, again putting his foot in his mouth.

"We're going to castle right now," Julia explained, her lips quirking in amusement. "I'm good friends with the Demon Queen. And she's the winner of the Demon Kingdom beauty pageant eighty years running."

"E-eighty?!"

The guards at the castle gate bowed to Julia, letting her through without question. Knowing the way well, she took the lead and dragged the gawking Yuri behind her.

Slowly, his excitement waned, turning again to concern. The castle was amazing, of course, but Yuri couldn't miss the way certain things had been neglected. Even the expansive flower beds had been left to wither.

Making her way through the empty castle halls, Yuri in tow, Julia paused outside the main audience chamber. She could raised voices from inside. Looking up at her, Yuri could see the same bitter sadness begin to cloud her expression.

"...wait a little longer," a cultured male voice was saying beyond the archway. The tone of it struggled to remain even, but still desperation crept through. "Just a few more days until the next supply shipment arrives."

Leaning around Julia to peek inside, Yuri could see it belonged to a tall man with long pale hair, dressed in all white. He and the others stood at the other end of the large chamber, around the centerpiece of the room - an ornate throne, upon which sat a beautiful woman.

"There's no point, is there?" another man said, his voice low and cold. Unlike the first, he wore what was clearly a military uniform, his dark hair cut much shorter, though still long to Yuri's eyes. "The outcome won't change. Those supplies would be better put to use by my men."

"The area where your squad will be deployed isn't expected to see battle," the first man protested. "These supplies could save their lives! If even just one can make it back..." He looked away, and even Yuri could see his shoulders tremble slightly.

The second man snorted. "Even the Great One couldn't grant such a miracle," he muttered, the sound carrying easily through the great hall. The woman on the throne drew a quiet, stuttering breath, as if fighting down a sob.

"Now, now," an older man beside her said, in a falsely consoling voice. "Your concern for your students does you credit, Lord Von Crist! But there is no need to grieve for them! We should rejoice! They will clear their names and do their country a great service! There is no greater honor!"

'...What is he saying?' Yuri thought numbly. The words were all clear, but somehow the meaning wouldn't reach him. A shiver crawled down his spine. Somehow, he already knew... it was something terrible. Julia's hands had fallen to his shoulders, squeezing tightly until the knuckles turned white. He could feel her trembling faintly behind him.

"There's certainly no need to mourn for that trash," the dark-haired man agreed, disgust clear in his voice.

Yuri still didn't understand - he was afraid to understand - but he knew that man had just said something he couldn't allow. Something unjust.

The vases that stood along the corridor suddenly trembled, the dried up flowers shedding their last petals, and the water inside exploded upward in small but furious geysers. Hitting the ceiling, it flowed toward the space above him and swirled together.

Julia's hands clamped down on his shoulders, shaking Yuri out of his trance. Falling down abruptly, the water drenched them both and soaked the expensive carpet. Yuri blinked, coming back to himself, and looked around the hall, which had become a scene of catastrophe.

"...What was that?" Yuri wondered, shaking a little as the cold water soaked into his borrowed cloak.

"Magic," Julia said quietly. "I guess you now have the same pact as I do, with the spirits of water."

He looked up at her, about to ask more questions, but hurried footsteps echoed through the audience chamber archway, and a man's figure burst through. It was the same dark haired man Yuri had become so angry with, his hand on his sword and an angry, searching expression on his face.

"What was that?" he demanded, his cold eyes falling on Yuri and Julia.

"Training accident," Julia said, completely calmly. "We were working on our magic, but it got a bit out of control."

"I'll say," the man snarled, looking around the hallway. Even if he realized she was just making things up, he didn't call her on it. He appeared almost disappointed that there were no enemies for him to fight. Behind him, the pale-haired man had also come to investigate, but he stepped aside easily as Julia made her way into the audience chamber.

Seeing the pair enter, the woman on the throne jumped to her feet and raced toward them. Her arms wrapped around Julia and embraced her tightly, almost clinging to the younger woman.

"Julia," she murmured, "it's so good to see you, my friend."

Peering around Julia, Yuri could see her smile kindly. "Shh, it's alright, Celi. It'll be alright," Julia whispered, gathering healing magic in her palm.

In truth, even Julia couldn't simply heal the wounds of the heart, but she could ease the physical strain that had built up within her friend. Under Julia's healing touch, the marks of countless sleepless nights and the tension of deep grief melted away. With a soft sigh, Celi slid to her knees, still holding on to Julia.

Cautiously, Yuri peeked around Julia's form. The men had departed, turning their faces away from Celi's grief, and only the two women and Yuri remained in the audience chamber. His dark eyes met Celi's as she finally looked up, and the two stared at each other for a long moment.

Celi smiled, gently but lacking its usual exuberance.

"And who might you be, honey?" she asked.

"Ah, um..." Yuri stammered, realizing for the first time just how beautiful the woman in front of him was. This had to be the Demon Queen! There was no way anyone could be prettier than her!

As if sensing all the flattering things he was thinking, Celi's smile widened.

"Oh, but look at you two! You're soaked! I'll get you a change of clothes," Celi decided, clapping her hands together. Her eyes were quickly gaining a certain sparkle that felt all too familiar to Yuri. "I think," Celi said brightly, "some of Wolfie's clothes will suit you just fine!"

A shiver went down his spine.

~.~.~

Yuri sputtered.

Seeing his unhappy expression, Celi glanced at the garment in her hands. "Too plain?" she wondered.

"Too frilly!" Yuri snapped.

Changed out of her uniform into a simple white dress, Julia tried to hide her smile behind one pale hand. She didn't need to see the thing Celi was holding up to understand what was happening - and to find a great deal of amusement in it.

"Oh, come now! At least try it on!" Celi cajoled.

"No!" Yuri exclaimed, grabbing on to his hood and cloak as if to stop it from getting ripped away. "Never! I'm never wearing a dress again!"

"But dresses are so much fun!" Celi protested.

"I'm a boy! Why are you even giving me a dress in the first place?!" Yuri all but wailed. He was cursed. Cursed!

"Oh," Julia said, in a tone of startled surprise. "You're a boy?"

It was the last straw. "I-I-I..." Yuri stammered. "But you-you, at that shrine..." Finally giving up, he could only keen softly and hide his face in his hands. His shoulders shook as his male pride was cruelly shattered. "You're evil! Absolutely evil!" Yuri exclaimed, pointing at her angrily.

For a moment, Julia tried to maintain an even, peaceful poker face, but a very unladylike smirk kept tugging at the edges of her lips. He was just so indignant! She could imagine him puffing out like an angry kitten. It was too much.

Peals of happy laughter rang through the room as Julia gave in. Her whole body shook as she laughed whole-heartedly, clutching at her stomach.

"Don't laugh! You're terrible! You're just like my mom!" Yuri protested, shoving at her shoulder. It just made Julia laugh more. Even Celi had begun to giggle behind her hand.

"It's just too easy! You make it too easy to tease you!" Julia said, trying to calm herself with deep breaths. Now and then, her shoulders would shake as she tried to swallow another chuckle. "It's been such a long time since I laughed like that..."

Reaching out, Celi pulled them both into a tight embrace. "Thank you," she murmured, burying her face in their shoulders. "Thank you both..."

Yuri squirmed a little, but all he could really do was pat her gently on the back. It seemed terribly wrong that such a beautiful woman would be so sad. He couldn't help but wonder what she would look like filled with happiness.

"You should rest, Celi," Julia told her gently. "Try to get some sleep."

"You know I can't, not when... at dawn, he'll be..." Celi tried to say, unable to even force the words out. Stroking her hair, Julia guided her to the couch and settled her down on it. All of her grief and exhaustion seemed to be finally catching up with her, and unwillingly Celi's eyes drifted shut. For several long moments, Julia remained beside her, humming a gentle tune.

"Come on," she whispered, reaching out tentatively to lay a hand on Yuri's shoulder. Feeling the damp fabric under her fingertips, she paused. "Ah, we still have to get you changed..."

"...I'm fine like this," Yuri muttered, taking her hand and pulling her toward the door.

"I suppose so. You won't get sick, after all," Julia mused.

~.~.~

Making their way through the empty, almost abandoned halls, the two of them wandered out into the garden. Among the silence, broken only by the distant sounds of barked orders and the clinking of armor, a grey, depressed mood had settled over the pair.

Julia settled on the dusty lip of the fountain, dipping her hand into the still water of the basin. Yuri crouched beside the withered flower bed, letting his hands run through the dry brown stalks.

"It's all so sad," he muttered. He frowned, but his unhappiness and confusion wasn't directed at the wilted blossoms. "Miss Julia... I don't understand. What's going on? Is this what war is like? It doesn't feel you're just going through hard times. It's like no one even knows how to smile anymore, like you'll all never smile again. I can't imagine how hard it must be for all of you, but it'll end one day! And then, you can be happy again, right? So why...?"

Julia's expression was heartbreakingly sad as she turned toward him.

"It's because even when the war ends, we will have lost many irreplaceable things," she explained gently. "So many of our comrades, our friends, families, will be gone. And..."

"Did you... lose a friend?" Yuri ventured, watching her tremble in grief.

"I've lost many friends," Julia said quietly. "We all have. And I'm about to lose another."

"D-don't be like that!" Yuri protested, shaking his head. "Don't cry yet! He'll make it back!"

"No," Julia said, with pained surety. "He won't. None of them will. This is what they were speaking about in the audience hall. The Luttenberg division... it is made up of soldiers who are half-human. Because of rumors that they were aiding the enemy, they volunteered to fight a battle that can't be won. Against an overwhelming enemy, with insufficient supplies..."

Unable to continue, Julia fell silent, her clasped hands clenched together painfully in her lap. For a moment, Yuri thought she would cry, but her eyes remained painfully dry, as if she had run out of tears.

"But that's-! That's not right!" Yuri protested, jumping to his feet. "Why would they do that? Why is everyone just letting them?!"

"This... is the meaningful battle Adalbert spoke of," Julia said, almost to herself. "I understand now. Some things... some things are worth dying for."

For a moment, Yuri could only stare at her, his dark eyes wide.

"There's nothing worth dying for!" he yelled suddenly, bristling. "It's one thing... It's one thing to risk your life, but to just decide you're going to die?! To just give and say it'll be enough?" His shoulders shook, angry tears welling up in his eyes. "That's not right! You... You have to keep going!"

He couldn't hold back the heavy sobs that tore out of his chest, thick tears sliding down his cheeks. Reaching out, Julia ran a soft hand across his heaving back and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. His tears soaked into her blue cloak as she hummed a gently tune, trying to soothe him.

"Don't give up," he sobbed, voice muffled against her shoulder. "You... you have to believe in your friend. If he knows you're waiting for him, he'll fight twice as hard to come back to you!"

For a moment, Julia's hand stilled, before resuming its comforting motions.

"Giving up..." she murmured. "I wonder if perhaps I had given up. I wished for peace, for the Demon Tribe and the humans. I still believed that the time will come when we will be at peace. But... I couldn't imagine it. What would that peaceful world be like? Could it ever truly be real?"

Her hand rested over his hooded head, patting softly. Looking up, Yuri was surprised to see her smile. No one except his parents had ever looked at him like that, like he was everything they had ever hoped for, their every dream realized.

"But now I know, such a world can exist," Julia said. "It will exist. One day... the bloodshed will end. Everything that has been lost and sacrificed will no longer be a burden, but a foundation for that future."

Slowly, Yuri rubbed away his tears. "...I don't know anything about world peace," he said. "It sounds like something one person can't do on their own. Maybe you should start a little smaller. I think... you should see your friend off. He's leaving at dawn, right? That way, he'll..."

He trailed off, seeing the expression on Julia's face. She was still smiling at him kindly, as if he was something precious. But it was clear his words were only hurting her.

~.~.~

Fine be that way and don't review, see if I care! Just so you know, I finished Part III, and now _I'm not gonna write anymore because I'm not motivated._ ;_;

((Interestingly, the manga says that Luttenberg is not the place where the Luttenberg division fought. Rather, it's an area of the Demon Kingdom where many half-breeds live (segregation?) and also where Conrad was born. Probably most of the Luttenberg division soldiers were born there.

The defining battle of their division took place in Arnold. Which is a town, I think.

For the record, the song Julia hums is, in my mind, Fake Wings from .hack-SIGN. It's really great, and kinda fits next chapter in a way. Check it out!))


	22. III-7 I laughed and lived III

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: In the end, Yuri is just a naive kid. But sometimes, that's just what's needed.

~.~.~

**Part III, Chapter 7**

_I laughed and lived (III)_

~.~.~

The moon had moved across the sky and hung low over the horizon again when Yuri quietly snuck out of the castle. Glancing back, he could see a solitary window still glowing and couldn't help but wonder who had been unable to find sleep that night. Were they also worried about someone, praying for their safe return?

'Of course they are,' Yuri berated himself. 'Everyone is worried about someone. There isn't anyone in this kingdom who hasn't been touched by war.'

He shook his head. There wasn't any time for that. Hurrying down the steps, he began to cross the courtyard, heading for the gate. Even here an eerie stillness had fallen, as if waiting for something with bated breath. The soldiers, the servants, even the horses were gone.

Looking around in confusion and a bit of nervousness, Yuri almost missed the figure standing beside the flower bed. The other person, a boy Yuri's age with bright blond hair, turned at the sound of Yuri's footsteps. For a moment, their eyes met.

"Hey, you!" the other boy barked. "What do you think you're doing? Don't you know there's a curfew in effect?"

Yuri jumped, reflexively reaching up to pull his hood lower. "I-I'm going to see Miss Julia's friend off! If she won't do it, I will!" he exclaimed.

"Lady Julia's friend...?" the other boy repeated, something strange passing over his face before his fine features twisted into a scowl. "You mean him!"

"I don't know!" Yuri stammered. "She said he was leaving at dawn!"

The other boy stared, his expression slowly turning disbelieving. "Are you saying... you're going to see off someone... when you don't even know what they look like?" he clarified, as if unable to believe something so stupid.

"Ah," Yuri drew out, suddenly realizing that there was a definite flaw in his plan. As the other boy sneered, Yuri shouted, "It's none of your business! What about you? What're you doing out here anyway?"

His counterattack his spot-on. The other boy flushed and spun away quickly. "I was just looking at the flowers," he muttered. "I can't believe they managed to sprout at a time like this. ...Is it a sign?"

The mention of flowers caught Yuri's interested, and he moved to stand beside the other boy. The flower bed he was staring at so fiercely was the same one Yuri had looked at earlier that evening, next to the fountain.

But in those few hours, something had changed. From among the dry brown remnants, small blue flowers had raised their heads. Crouching, Yuri carefully touched one. It seemed to stand a little straighter under his gentle fingers, spreading its five indigo petals.

Yuri beamed. "You guys are so strong!" he complimented. "Standing tall all by yourselves!"

"Did someone grow them with magic?" the other boy muttered to himself behind Yuri. "No, that's ridiculous. Who would waste energy on something like that? Not even Mother would..." He trailed off, his lips pursing unhappily. "Well, maybe for these ones? After all, they're named after him..."

But Yuri wasn't listening. The deep blue color of the flowers made him think of the markings on Julia's cloak. It was just a few shades lighter than her eyes.

"I think I've got an idea," Yuri decided. Leaning forward, he plucked the first flower, then another, and another.

"What are you doing?" the other boy asked, finally noticing Yuri's actions.

"I'm making a bouquet," Yuri responded absently, gathering the flowers in his hands. "I'll give it to her friend. That's what people do with flowers, right?"

"You still don't even know what he looks like," the other boy pointed out.

"It'll be fine," Yuri insisted. "I'll tell them I'm making a delivery for Miss Julia, and everyone'll know who I'm looking for, right? Like from a flower shop!"

Unable to argue, the other boy looked up at the moon and frowned. "How are you going to get there? Dawn's less than an hour away."

"Huh? Get there?" Yuri repeated as he glanced up. "Get where? They're not leaving from here?"

The other boy turned to stare at him again, with that same blankly disbelieving look. "They're leaving from the northeast entrance in town," he said flatly. Then, he shook his head sharply and huffed. "Fine! Since you're so useless, I'll take you! But not because I want to go or anything!"

Turning on his heel, he stalked away toward the stables, Yuri hurrying after him, flowers clutched close to his chest. Catching the other boy's eyes, he smiled sincerely. "Thank you," he said. The other quickly looked away, a faint flush staining his cheeks.

Above, Julia stood beside the single lit window. She could feel the pull of Yuri's being, down in her very soul, but she made no move to stop him.

"It's not that I don't want to go," she murmured. "It's not that I don't want to see him off. But... I can't promise to be waiting for him. I won't be there for anyone to come back to, not for him, not for Adalbert... It has already been determined."

She smiled, suddenly, the expression sad but also sweetly gentle.

"No, that's not right. It wasn't determined. It's what I've decided," she said, pressing her hand against her steadily beating heart. "It was only for one night, but it was enough. Thank you. I understand now. No matter how sad or painful, no matter how long it takes, I believe my wish will come true. I will fight for it until the end, in every little way I can. And... I'll believe in them. They will live on, and find happiness."

~.~.~

"I think the sun's rising!" Yuri fretted, looking up at the sky. The moon had disappeared behind the mountains now, and the sky above had begun taking on the pastel colors of dawn. "Are we really going to make it?"

He yelped as his companion urged his horse faster, caught between keeping his hood on and clutching at the body in front of him. "We'll get ahead of them," the other boy decided. "I know the route they're taking out of the city."

They raced through the streets, zigzagging as they tried to cut ahead of the departing troops. Turning his horse sharply, he sent them down a narrow alley before bursting onto a wider thoroughfare. But neither the narrow street nor the wide one had a single other person traveling along it. The town stood still, even the shutters on the windows sealed, the drapes closed.

"Where is everyone?" Yuri wondered, glancing around. "We're getting close now, right? So why isn't there anyone else?"

'Is it... that painful?' he thought. 'I guess I really can't understand how hard it must be, to keep watching your friends leave and never return...'

They turned again, sharply, the horse stumbling a little from its rider's rough handling, arriving at one of the inner walls of the castle town. A wide street passed through the gate, framed on either side by fortified towers. "Here, they'll pass through this gate," the other boy said, holding Yuri's arm as he dismounted.

Just as he said, Yuri could see columns of soldiers approaching, some mounted, some on foot. Some already bore injuries from prior battles. He could just make out their serious, grim expressions.

At the last moment, his nerve failed him. His hands shook. How could he go out so lightly in front of those men, when he couldn't even begin to understand their suffering? Some dumb kid like him... He couldn't. He just couldn't.

Yuri stood frozen, his legs locked in place as men began to move past the two boys, hidden just out of sight. His shoulders shook as he curled around the deep blue flowers. Behind him, the other boy had dismounted as well, but he didn't move away from his horse, instead pressing closer to it, hiding his face away from the approaching procession.

Everyone had turned away, a few hidden faces peering out for a moment before disappearing back into their houses. No one could bear to watch these soldiers depart for their doomed mission, from which even Yuri, in all his optimism and naivety, knew most of them would not return.

It wasn't just Julia's friend. Each of those men was someone's friend, someone's family. They had all chosen this path, to lay down their lives for what they believed in.

Even if there was a chance they might survive, it was too slim. To keep on hoping and believing, when you were almost certain to be crushed, was too hard. It was easier to see them as already dead. Better to look away and mourn.

'...It's not fair,' Yuri thought, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. 'How can they fight to survive if everyone's already written them off? You can't give up yet! It's not over!'

To keep watching those you cared for march away, hoping fruitlessly for their return, was too heavy a burden. Everyone in the kingdom had been touched by war and the painful sorrow it brought.

...Except for him. Maybe he was a sheltered, naive kid, but he could do this much. He at least had to try.

Bursting into motion, he ran to one of the gate towers. The door that should have been locked burst open as Yuri kicked it in with more force than he could normally imagine possessing. But that didn't matter. Instead, he raced up the spiralling staircase and out onto the covered passage above the gate.

Narrow windows ran along both sides of the corridor, one facing toward the castle, the other outward, away from the town. Glancing out, Yuri could see the procession of soldiers entering the gate and on the other side - their leader, just emerging, followed by a soldier with bright orange hair and red headband.

He wasn't too late, just barely.

Yuri clutched the deep blue flowers closer and, leaning out the window, let them fly. The blossoms fluttered into the sky and began to fall, gliding down over the soldiers. A slow ripple of surprise passed over the men, some reaching out to grasp a flower or a stray petal.

Taking a deep breath, Yuri gathered all his courage and determination. "Fight!" he yelled, fingers grasping tightly onto the windowsill as he leaned out. It sounded like the crowd cheering for a baseball team, but that was all he knew. "For the kingdom! Go! And... everyone will be waiting for you when you return!"

Maybe it wasn't his place to say that, but Yuri was sure that there were many people who thought and felt the same thing. He was sure they wanted to convey those feelings, just like Julia. After all, the reason he had come there was to make sure those well-wishes reached them.

"I know you can do it!" he shouted. "And I know that you'll come back!"

His voice, alone, seemed quickly swallowed by the still morning air, fading away into nothing. In end, what could just one person do...?

"You won't lose! You are all brave men of the Demon Tribe!"

Yuri jumped, turning in surprise to see that the boy who had brought him to the gate had climbed up as well. He stood beside the next window, having called out his own encouragement as well. He had ducked his head, brilliant golden hair hiding his expression, but Yuri could see that his shoulders were shaking.

"There's no way he'll lose..." the boy muttered, his fists clenching.

The soldiers had glanced back, to see who had called out to them, and realizing he was about to be spotted, the other boy ducked away from the window. Yuri couldn't help but smile, remembering his protests about not wanting to be there at all. It was easy to understand; a man had pride, after all.

"Y-you can do it! Good luck!" A shaking young voice came suddenly in the street below, and Yuri was surprised to a little girl peeking out of through the doorway of a restaurant.

"Give them hell!" a gruff man shouted from an alleyway.

"Don't give up!"

"Good luck!"

Slowly, more and more voices called out their own well-wishes, though many of those that called out remained hidden, barely slitting open their doors and shutters. But that was more than enough. The soldiers who had been bowed as if under a great weight straightened, squaring their shoulders. Their fate was still a heavy one, but... perhaps even just one of them might be able to believe that he would make it back and to fight toward that goal.

Gentle tears slid down Yuri's cheeks again, but as he ducked his head, letting the hood fall over his face, he was smiling.

The first rays of the morning sun broke over the horizon, lightning the path of the soldiers and hiding the faint glow of dissipating magic.

When the other boy turned toward the place where Yuri had been standing, all that remained was a white cloak fluttering to the ground.

~.~.~

The last wisps of the memory faded away into that same darkness. Slowly, Yuri drew back, Adalbert's slack hand slipping out of his grip.

The man was shaking, his powerful form barely able to contain his grief, the wounds that had been torn open again.

"...I still don't understand," Adalbert muttered. "You were in the past? Why?"

"I don't know what the Great One was thinking," Yuri said, looking away. "But he decided that we should meet. I guess... he wanted to show her the meaning behind her sacrifice."

"But why? Why did Julia have to die?!" Adalbert demanded.

Yuri curled in on himself, his expression pained. "...Because her soul would be reborn as the next Demon King," he said quietly.

For a moment, Adalbert couldn't under his words. He felt frozen, unable to draw breath.

"You... and Julia... have the same soul?" he finally said haltingly. "You have Julia's soul?!"

"I'm sorry," Yuri whispered, ducking as if expecting a blow. "I'm so sorry."

Anger stirred in Adalbert, but it was quickly drowned by his overwhelming grief. All he could see, all he could think of was Julia, Julia in the memory the boy had shown him, Julia's sadness and pain, which he had been so blind to, Julia's determined gaze, restored by meeting this boy, and most of all, the way Julia had smiled and laughed. It had been so long since he had heard her honest laughter...

She had looked at this child like he held all her hopes, like he was the most precious thing. Adalbert could not raise his hand against him.

Would she have looked like that at their children? In his most private moments, Adalbert had tried to imagine the peaceful world she wished for. Living with Julia, raising a family together, growing old... he had wanted all those things. He had fought and killed for the chance to have them, only to discover their future had been snatched away by fate and the decree of the Great One.

Adalbert had spent twenty years blaming the false god of the Demon Tribe, and it came easily to him. The Great One had manipulated and coerced Julia, showing her a vision of this child, knowing she would be unable to throw away his life. It was the Great One's fault...

...But Julia... Julia... had known all along what she was doing. She had chosen to walk that path, just as her dear friend had chosen to march into a battle that could not be won. Except that he had returned, while Julia had not been granted such a miracle.

"Julia... Julia..." Adalbert repeated, a prayer or perhaps a curse. His hand covered his eyes and the tears he could not shed. "Why didn't you tell me, Julia?"

"...She wanted you to live and have a future, even if she couldn't share it with you," Yuri said quietly, slowly approaching Adalbert. He wanted to reach out and comfort the man somehow, but he knew nothing he did would be accepted. "She didn't want you to search for her soul, to be tied down by a one-sided bond. Souls are meant to be reborn without any memories of who they were. She thought it would be too cruel..."

Reaching into his shirt, he pulled out the pendant Conrart had given him. It was warm and smooth in his hand. For a moment, Yuri thought he could feel it pulsing, like a beating heart.

"She loved you very much," he murmured, gently taking Adalbert's hand and placing the pendant in it. "When I heard your voice, that part of my soul reached out for you. It was her one regret, that she had to leave you, that she could no longer be with you. I'm... so sorry."

Adalbert's hand curled around it, recognizing easily its shape and texture. It had once been Julia's most precious treasure. But now...

The darkness around them had slowly dispersed, leaving them once more on the shore of Big Cimaron. As the last of his magic faded out, Yuri swayed and sank to the ground. 'I guess I overdid it,' he thought faintly.

Adalbert looked up at the lightening sky. In the illusion, he had lost all sense of time, but now he could see that it was just before dawn. Soon, the sun would rise, burning away the last of the lingering mist.

In the distance, he could hear voices, shouting orders back and forth. Big Cimaron's troops had finally caught up, free of Yuri's concealing illusion.

Looking down at the boy, Adalbert could see that he wouldn't even be able to stand on his own, much less run or hide.

It would so easy to just leave him. The Demon Tribe would be lost without their prophesized Double-Black King. And the Great One's plan would certainly take a blow as well. It would be easy...

Snorting angrily, he gripped Yuri by the arm and hauled him to his feet. "Let's go, kid," he said gruffly. 'Julia... you were so foolish. But I won't let your wish end here. I'll see it through to the end. That's the choice I've made.'

~.~.~

((...Why did I feel the need to rewrite episode 52? What was I thinking when I made this plan? It's a mystery...))

((As a side note, the events in the chapter kept shifting around. Several things changed pretty drastically from my original plan. I'm not sure if it's for the best, but there you go. But because of that, I think there might be some inconsistencies with Yuri's reactions early in Part II.))

((Yuri probably didn't show Adalbert all of that. After all, Adalbert only cares about the Julia parts. So, assume there was some video editing on Yuri's part.))


	23. III-8 It's a sign

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Conrart is appalled by the state of the Demon King's security. Clearly, he'll have to show them how it's done.

~.~.~

**Part III, Chapter 8**

_It's a sign_

~.~.~

Conrart had noticed easily when the mist became too thick and concealing. He might not have been able to wield magic of any description, but he was more than familiar with its many forms.

Instead of trying to penetrate the mists directly, he had circled around the worst of it until he reached the seashore and simply continued along the edge, making his way deeper and deeper into the hidden area.

As he traveled, the mist slowly thinned, the magic supporting it fading away as dawn approached. Soon, he was able to see without its confounding effects, well enough to find the place where the Box had once been brought. It had rested there for a long while, its square imprint clear in the dirt.

Then, Conrart judged, glancing over the tracks, it had been taken down a thin, winding path to the sea itself, by men who made their way up from the water. 'So it was retrieved successfully,' he thought. 'That's good, but...'

His eyes traveled in the opposite direction, away from the cliff's edge, where he could see the small but telltale signs of a small group making their way back inland. 'This is Josak's handiwork,' Conrart thought, easily recognizing his old friend's methods. 'They came here, then doubled back. Why?'

He couldn't imagine what they might have been thinking. They had retrieved both the Box and Francia's king. What else could they possibly want from Belar? There was nothing left for the Demon Kingdom in Big Cimaron, no reason for them to come back.

_"I just came back alone to deal with you."_

_"Wolfram came all this way, on this dangerous mission, just to meet you!"_

But that had just been a lie to cover up their actions in Francia. No matter how angry and how headstrong his younger brother was, Wolfram would not have been allowed to just head into enemy territory, especially when they must have know that they were already being pursued.

A traitor did not have that kind of worth.

_"I'll be waiting for you at the Demon Kingdom!"_

_"Should we wait for you then?"_

Conrart shook his head, dismissing such an impossible notion. Even if it had been possible, even if he believed that some measure of forgiveness could be granted to him, Conrart knew he had missed his chance. The Demon King had offered him a way out, but Conrart had not responded. His mission was not yet complete. One more Box remained somewhere out there.

No matter how much he wished for it, he could not go back to the Demon Kingdom. He couldn't go with them.

...Not yet. In the deepest corner of his heart, he clung to that small hope.

So why was he out here? Even as he doggedly followed the faintest remnants of a trail, Conrart couldn't explain why he had not remained with the troops, which would have been the smarter choice. There would be no benefit in him finding the other Demon Tribesmen. To assist them, he would only need to be there if the other soldiers found them instead.

The threat of those other soldiers was growing closer and closer. Now that most of the fog had lifted, Conrart could see the scattered lights of their torches in the distance, spread out in a noose that was slowly tightening as Big Cimaron's troops advanced steadily toward their prey.

With the coming of dawn, the faint marks left behind by the Demon Tribesmen became a little easier to see, and Conrart picked up his pace. He didn't know what he would do when he reached them, but he knew he couldn't afford to be too late.

However, in his haste, Conrart had forgotten something important. Just as he knew Josak and his techniques, Josak knew him and was furthermore a master of his craft.

Conrart rushed blindly straight into their ambush.

As he followed the trail through a particularly uneven area, dotted with oddly shaped stone crags, Josak and Wolfram simultaneously leapt from their hiding places. He could counter one, but not the other, not without aiming to kill or brutally injure and not without taking injuries himself. Caught between his younger brother and his oldest friend, Conrart hesitated, and in that split second, a sword was held to his throat, another at his back.

Conrart forced himself to relax tense muscles and ease out of his combat stance. He smiled placidly as the boy who had called himself Chris stepped out from behind a rock outcropping and studied Conrart thoughtfully.

"Fancy meeting you here," Josak joked, though his eyes were hard and cold, as if facing an enemy. "What brings you out here on this fine, fine morning?"

Wolfram growled quietly. "We don't have time for that nonsense!" he snapped. "Now, where's Yuri?"

The question made no sense to Conrart, and his gaze darted to the third member of their party. The boy's eyes widened as he caught the slight motion, and his lips twisted into a faint frown.

"That's very interesting," he murmured.

"What? What is?" Wolfram demanded, looking at him sharply.

"He know that the Demon King's name is Yuri," the other boy explained, pushing up his glasses. "That's very interesting, since I've certainly never used it, and Shibuya only actually introduced himself a couple times."

Wolfram paused, his brow furrowing as he considered the words. Of course, Yuri had given his name at the Covenant Castle. But aside from that, perhaps only to Heathcrife, certainly never in Francia or Big Cimaron.

Josak's cool expression darkened. "You must have some pretty great contacts," he noted, smiling thinly at Conrart.

But Conrart was too distracted to respond. The double-black boy talked about the Demon King in third person, he said Shibuya had done this and that.

It could only mean one thing - he wasn't Yuri Shibuya, 27th Demon King.

"I see," Conrart murmured to himself. "Belar was wrong from the start, and you let him believe it to protect his Majesty. That's good. That was a good move."

On the one hand, Conrart felt relieved. The king had not been in danger. But on the other hand... if Wolfram was asking Conrart where Yuri was, then he was missing now, here in Big Cimaron, surrounded by enemy troops.

"Don't act coy! Tell us where that wimp is!" Wolfram demanded. "He must have gone back to talk to you!"

"I told you, I don't think so," Murata said, pushing up his glasses. "Even Shibuya wouldn't have just decided something so stupid out of nowhere. There must have been something else."

"Like what?" Wolfram said, making Murata frown and look away.

"I don't know," Murata admitted sourly. "But it doesn't matter. He might not look it, but Shibuya can take care of himself pretty well. We need to focus on how we're all going to get out of here."

Wolfram scowled. "That wimp? Take care of himself? You must be joking!"

"I'm really not. Shibuya's good at illusions, and he's also surprisingly good at talking his way out. He probably just slipped right past the soldiers. Worst comes to worst, he's powerful too, and he can use it in the human lands," Murata said. "But I can say with absolute certainty that he never planned on a way of getting out."

"The ship that was supposed to pick us up must be gone already," Josak said, apparently accepting his reasoning. "They'll focus on getting the Box out of here."

"What about the ship we arrived on?" Wolfram asked.

"It wasn't even allowed to dock here, and they'll be keeping a very close eye on it. Even if we could signal it somehow, it wouldn't be able to meet us without Cimaron troops following it to us," Murata said, shaking his head in dismissal.

"Not to mention that we'll need to make it through the pursuit teams first," Josak pointed out.

Conrart looked between them, a frown forming on his face. Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "You can't be planning to just leave His Majesty to fend for himself! You have a duty to protect him, above all!"

Josak and Wolfram turned to him with the same look of annoyed disbelief. It said clearly that they thought he had no right to lecture them about duty. Or perhaps, though Conrart didn't realize it, they simply envied Conrart's lack of understanding regarding Yuri's inherently trouble-finding, infuriating nature.

Hiding a somewhat inappropriate smile, Murata pushed up his glasses and looked into the distance. "Since you're so eager, you can lead the way," he says. "It looks like finding Shibuya won't be hard after all. He's already made a mess of things."

Following his gaze, the other three turned. Now that they stopped to listen, the faint echo of shouting could be heard. The tiny figures of Big Cimaron soldiers were swarming further inland, lining up in pursuit.

Finding Yuri wouldn't be hard, because he had already been found.

~.~.~

The soldiers were catching up. Adalbert scowled as he glanced down at the teenager he was all but dragging along. Although Yuri was putting everything he had in keeping his limbs moving, he had overreached himself, and the effects of magic drain were showing clearly.

Adalbert's steps slowed for a moment, giving Yuri a much needed reprieve, but before he could even begin to catch his breath, a muscular arm wrapped around his waist and hauled him up over an equally muscular, broad shoulder.

"Woah!" Yuri flailed as Adalbert picked up the pace again. Hanging over Adalbert's shoulder, he could see the Big Cimaron soldiers on their tail, getting closer and closer despite Adalbert's efforts. "They're catching up! What're we gonna do?" Yuri wondered, wincing a little at the way the man's shoulder dug into his stomach with each step.

"Hmph. Just hang tight, kid," Adalbert grunted. "We're almost there."

However, it was becoming clear that, wherever Adalbert was headed, they wouldn't make it before they were overtaken.

"Yuri!" A strong cry split the air. "Yuri!"

"Finally. Looks like your posse's arrived," Adalbert muttered.

Twisting in Adalbert's grip, Yuri finally spotted them - Wolfram and Josak with their swords drawn, catching the soldiers off guard and knocking them away, Murata moving quickly to fall in step with Adalbert, and... Conrart joining the fray, for their side.

"Hey!" Adalbert barked, catching Conrart's attention. Suddenly, Yuri was sailing through the air as Adalbert pitched him over roughly. "Hurry up! Go on!"

Despite his clear surprise, Conrart reacted without hesitation, his arms wrapping around Yuri securely. Adalbert was already moving past Wolfram and Josak to take their place holding off Big Cimaron's troops, and Murata didn't stop to question his motives, instead herding their group forward the way Adalbert had indicated.

Covering their retreat, Adalbert continued to fight even as he backed up slowly as well. 'Just a little further,' he thought, 'and they should be right over it.'

His eyes darted back, and, seeing them cross some invisible line, he smirked. Pushing back the soldier he had crossed swords with, he raised his fist to the sky and gathered his power.

The bastard combination of Demon Tribe magic and esoteric arts exploded outward as he slammed his fist into the ground. Wide fissures spread outward, swallowing the Big Cimaron soldiers, even as the earth behind Adalbert collapsed, sending the Demon Tribesmen tumbling down a deep shaft.

Staring at his handiwork, Adalbert smirked, winded but triumphant. He turned, looking down into the crater he had created. Josak and Conrart had managed to land on their feet, but Wolfram and Murata had not been so lucky. They groaned, slowly picking themselves up, as the two men glared up at Adalbert.

"That cave system extends all the way to the next town," Adalbert called out. "Follow the stream and you won't get lost."

He began to turn away, but Yuri called out, "What about you?"

Adalbert paused. "Oh, I'll keep myself occupied. The truth is, I still hate humans. And now that he's failed so completely, I've got no use for Belar either," he said, hefting his sword.

"But-"

"Kid," Adalbert said, cutting off Yuri's protests, "thanks. For letting her laugh one last time." Reaching into his coat, he pulled out the familiar blue stone. Undeniably, it was no longer Julia's. He had no use for it. Tossing it over his shoulder, he gathered his power again.

Yuri's hands closed around the pendant a moment before the earth heaved again, sliding sideways and closing the opening that Adalbert had created.

~.~.~

As the ground finally settled, the Demon Tribesmen were left in the cave's profound darkness, until Josak, after some fumbling, managed to light the spare torch he had carried with him just in case. "Everybody make it?" he called out, raising the torch high and looking around for his companions' figures. In the confusion, they had been scattered a surprising ways apart.

Wolfram only glared, his face smeared with dirt. Murata waved, preoccupied with trying to determine the condition of his glasses. He frowned, realizing one of the lenses had been cracked. Yuri turned to glance at him, startled out of his thoughts, and after a moment managed a crooked smile as he slid the pendant's cord over his head.

That left only Conrart, hovering near Yuri, his gaze troubled as he tried to both keep close and disappear into the shadows. The expression on his face as he glanced at Yuri was confused and uncertain, but there was something almost hopeful beneath it.

Josak didn't even know where to start dealing with his old friend, so he simply shook his head.

"We should get going," he said, setting aside his many, many questions. Being so in the dark was a frustrating and unsettling feeling for a spy like him. "I can hear the water that way." He jerked his head deeper into the dark cavern.

"Are we actually going to follow his directions?" Wolfram grumbled, pushing himself to his feet and trying futilely to brush the dirt from his clothes.

"Not much choice," Murata said, shrugging as he put his glasses back on. "Besides, it makes sense. If there's an underground stream, it might go to the surface somewhere. It's our best bet. Otherwise, there's no telling how long we'll be lost down here." He smile was entirely too cheerful as he mused on their possibly dire fate.

"Yeah, let's go," Yuri agreed, but when he tried to stand, his legs gave out under him. Everything seemed to spin nauseatingly, and he had to gasp for breath.

Everyone froze, involuntarily turning toward the ailing Demon King. "You really overdid it, Shibuya," Murata said, frowning as knelt by his friend. "Your magic's drained, and then you tried running around too, didn't you?"

"Wimp," Wolfram muttered, though there was something like concern in his tired voice. In truth, Wolfram was also exhausted, and seeing that they weren't going to be moving for a while, he slumped against the nearest rock formation.

"Should we wait for him to recover?" Josak inquired quietly.

"No, we've got to get going," Yuri insisted stubbornly. Despite that, he couldn't force his limbs to move.

Murata sighed. "You're not going to be able to walk like this, much less climb around in a cave." His gaze drifted to Conrart, who had also crouched beside Yuri, his concern clear despite his poker face. Murata's lips quirked in a smile that would have sent shivers down Yuri's spine, if he had been in any state to notice it.

Conrart didn't know Murata well enough to recognize the expression and all the suffering it promised, but his well-tuned senses made him tense as that smile was turned on him.

"Then I guess Lord Weller will have to carry you," Murata said, clapping Conrart on the shoulder. "Up and at 'em!"

He stood and began to move away as if the whole thing was decided, just like that. For a moment, Conrart could only stare after him in surprise. Then, breaking out of his shock, he protested, "Wait!"

"What?" Murata swiftly pinned him with a smiling, glasses-shining look. "Is Shibuya too heavy for you? You caught him just fine before."

"I'm not heavy," Yuri protested thickly, his glare mostly lost as he continued to droop. "Not a wimp either."

"You can't be serious," Conrart insisted. "You can't just let an enemy soldier carry the Demon King."

"Everyone else is too tired," Murata said, shrugging. "We've got to use our resources wisely."

"What're you going to do, run off with him?" Josak asked, his tone teasing but also a little sharp-edged. Even if Conrart had wanted to run, there was nowhere for him to go, really.

"I could take him hostage," Conrart said grimly, one firm hand on Yuri's shoulder pulling him away from his companions and back toward Conrart, in an implicit threat. Too tired to worry, which he probably wouldn't have anyway, Yuri leaned back easily and let himself rest against Conrart.

Wolfram and Murata both simply stared at Conrart flatly, though at least Josak had the decency look uncomfortable at the threat to his liege.

"Well, I don't think he's going to protest much," Murata said with the same annoying cheerfulness. "After all, you got along so well the last time you locked him a dungeon." Conrart's expression remained stony, refusing to react to Murata's jab.

"Would you just pick him up so we can go?" Wolfram snapped.

"Yeah, yeah," Yuri grumbled. Reaching up, he wrapped his arms around Conrart's neck and hung on, groaning faintly.

Conrart reflexively moved to pick him up, his arms curling under Yuri's back and knees. Wiggling for a moment, Yuri settled in and mumbled, "Conrad, you're warm."

Then, to Conrart's surprise, his breathing evened out as he drifted off to sleep. As Conrart stood frozen in shock, his arms full of sleeping teenager, Murata and Wolfram exchanged an exasperated, knowing look.

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Josak commanded, voice low so as not to wake the king. "Let's get going, shall we? Careful with the kiddo, captain. Wouldn't want to drop His Majesty, now would you?"

Yuri only cuddled closer, already beginning to drool a little on Conrart's military coat. Somehow, there wasn't anything left for him to do but follow after the other Demon Tribesmen.

~.~.~

Yuri remained steadily asleep during their entire journey through the cavern, and even when they stepped out into the sunlight and the fresh air, he only shifted a little to rub his cheek against Conrart's shoulder.

Resting only a short while, their party continued down a narrow trail winding its way from the cavern entrance down toward the shore - and a port city.

They snuck in easily enough and settled to confer in a quiet alley.

"So now what?" Wolfram wondered, sliding to the ground as his legs all but gave out. Unlike Yuri, the rest of them hadn't managed any sleep the night before, and the new day was already growing old.

"We try to sneak on a boat, I guess," Murata said, slouching beside him.

"I'll scope out the town, see what ships are leaving," Josak said, moving away from the group. "You guys wait here and rest up."

But instead of stepping out onto the street, Josak suddenly stepped back, his hand moving to his sword, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Two shadows appeared in the entrance of the alley, making the others tense as well. As Wolfram levered himself to his feet, reaching for his sword, Murata pushed Conrart and his precious cargo deeper into the shadows, out of sight.

The two cloaked figures stepped into the alley, the slighter, shorter one clutching something close to its chest.

"Sorry, this alley's already occupied," Josak joked. "You'll have to find another place to... conduct your business." He managed to give the last three words a very suggestive twist, but despite his light tone, he remained tense and ready to fight.

The taller figure stood back, almost as if taking guard. But instead of retreating or even attacking, the shorter figure reached out a very feminine, pale hand, bracelets chiming.

"I'm so glad," the woman whispered. "I was so worried. Oh, Wolfie..."

"M-Mother?!" Wolfram stammered.

Indeed, pushing back her hood, Cecilie Von Spitzberg rushed into the alley to embrace her youngest son. "I was just so worried, I made Fanfan take me to Cimaron with him," she whispered, running a hand through his hair. "Then, we heard from the other ships that you were missing..."

"Wait, how did you know we'd be here?" Wolfram tried to ask, pushing against Celi's tight embrace.

"Oh, I used this," she smiled, holding up the thing she had been clutching so tightly. It looked a little like a compass, but a strange glowed just above its center and the needle spun between pointing to Wolfram and deeper into the alley. "It's dear Anissina's latest invention. She said it's called, hm, Mr. Guide Me to the One I Love, With Special Thanks to the 27th Demon King's Mother for her Profound Wisdom. It led me right to you~!"

With all the commotion, Yuri had finally begun to stir. "Nngh..." he groaned, not yet awake. He blinked, sitting up a little in Conrart's grip and rubbing at the corner of his mouth.

Catching the motion, Wolfram scowled. "Oh, now you wake up," he complained, firmly pressed against his mother's assets.

"Hm? Is that you, Your Majesty?" Celi wondered, peering into the shadows. As Murata and the other stepped forward, her grip on Wolfram slackened and she drew a sharp, startled breath.

"Huh?" Yuri glanced around, still half asleep. He lazily turned to look up at Conrart, who smiled back, a little strained, and slowly eased Yuri back onto his feet.

"I think... this should be where we part ways," he said, trying to step back, away from Yuri and his family. Celi reached for him, tentative and futile.

But Yuri, having woken up enough to understand the situation, clung to him stubbornly.

"Why don't we not?" he all but begged. Seeing Conrart's stony expression, and the undercurrent of regret in it, Yuri sent a pleading, slightly helpless look at Murata.

Pushing up his glasses, Murata agreed, "Isn't it enough already? All the stuff I said before was true, you know. You shouldn't take his orders so literally. Now that we've retrieved the Box from Belar, there's no reason for this to continue."

"You're wrong," Conrart said quietly. "My mission is not over. There is still one more Box."

Sighing in exasperation, Murata harshly ruffled his short hair. He turned back to Conrart with a frown, looking angry at him, at himself and the entire situation. "I hadn't intended to let anyone know," he said, "but it looks like you're not leaving me much choice. So I'll just say this: give up. The Bottom of the Mirror isn't anywhere in this world."

Slowly, Conrart's eyes widened as he fully understood what Murata was saying. The fourth Box wasn't in this world; it was on Earth, a place that Conrart had no hope of reaching.

"If that's what you were supposed to do, then your mission was impossible from the start," Murata said. "The real goal had always been something else. So don't you think you've done enough now?"

As Conrart swayed under the force of that revelation, Yuri wrapped his arms around the man's waist, steadying him.

"Conrart..." Celi murmured, reaching out as she tentatively stepped toward her second son. "Conrart... I don't know what's happened to you, but please... come home... It'll be alright, I promise."

Her expression was pleading, but determined. This time, she would protect her child, as she should have all along. This time, she would not allow anyone to harm him, no matter what the cause, not after those horrible days when she thought she had truly lost him. It didn't matter to her where he had been, what he had done or why. All that mattered was that he was still alive.

Uncertain, Conrart hesitated. The warm, slender arms around his waist tightened momentarily, trying to offer him some measure of strength, and he looked down into Yuri's dark, gentle eyes. The gaze that met his was determined and focused.

"You're coming with us," Yuri declared firmly, pulling away. It sounded like an order. "Either on your own or because we drag you." He smiled suddenly, sheepish, and held up a sheathed sword - Conrart's sword, which he had slipped off his belt while he was distracted. "Sorry, but I guess I'm not much good at waiting."

Numbly, Conrart let his gaze pass over the alley. The other Demon Tribesmen all faced him with looks of determination and exasperation. Josak, his mother, his brother, Yuri and even the other double black were all waiting for his answer.

"...You're right. I couldn't possibly win against all of you," he murmured.

All he could do was surrender.

~.~.~

((And now we just have two chapters of blah blah blah explanations and wrap up to do. I really didn't plan this out too well...))

((Oh, and here are a couple conversations I had to cut from the actual chapter because I was tired of it dragging. I did think they were a bit funny.))

~.~.~

Omake 1

"Hey, wait. Why am I getting carried like a bride?" Yuri wondered, looking down at himself, then up at Conrart.

"Because you're a wimp," Wolfram grumbled. "Everyone else walked."

"Because that takes two hands," Murata replied with the same scarily happy smile. "So he can't draw his sword without dropping you, you see?"

"Drop?" Yuri exclaimed, suddenly clinging to Conrart.

"I'm not going to drop you," Conrart assured him. "I would never do that."

"Then you're not going to draw your sword either," Murata pointed out, sounding very self-satisfied.

"But if he can't defend himself, that's bad!" Yuri protested. "At least make it a piggy-back ride! That's what older brothers do, right?"

~.~.~

Omake 2

Conrart was far less amused. "Or I could just run off with the Demon King," he pointed out. "You're all exhausted. There's no guarantee you could catch me."

"You're not exactly fresh as a daisy yourself," Josak said.

Meanwhile, Murata and Wolfram exchanged another look. "Good luck," Wolfram muttered.

"See you in a couple weeks," Murata added, "if you even last that long."

"So you'll hunt me down if I dare it?" Conrart asked, his eyebrows rising.

"No, I'm saying you'll bring Shibuya back yourself," Murata replied. "You've got no idea what he's like."

"Hey!" Yuri protested. "What kind of friends are you?"

"The kind that know you," Murata said bluntly.

"If it makes you feel better, you can think of it this way," Josak suggested to Conrart, "the Demon King took you hostage and forced you to serve him."

"Why am I the villain?" Yuri wondered.

"Because you're the one getting carried around," Wolfram said testily.

~.~.~

And you guys, you guys, Conrart's manga uniform for Big Cimaron. It's... it's so cool. You have to see it.


	24. III-9 Sharing pain and joy

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: Murata Explains All. Or rather, because he's Murata, he explains a little and leaves out all the most important parts.

~.~.~

**Part III, Chapter 9**

_Sharing pain and joy_

~.~.~

"Thank you so much, my dear Fanfan," Celi murmured, her tight embrace conveying more than words ever could.

Fanberlain stroked her golden curls, his smile gentle and fond. "Think nothing of it, Cecilie," he replied. "Why, I'm the one who's honored to have such distinguished passengers on one of my humble vessels."

Indeed, one of his smaller trading ships had picked them up, right under Big Cimaron's nose. Loaded in with the cargo, most of the group had simply collapsed and gone to sleep, with only Yuri remaining awake long enough to provide at least a bare-bones explanation to Celi.

Now, out in the open waters and far from danger, Celi finally allowed herself to relax and lean against her friend's subtle but unwavering strength.

"Don't worry, I will get them all home safely," Fanberlain said. "Leave it to me. Go. I know you want to be with them."

Celi smiled, running a delicate hand over his shoulder, as if smoothing away some invisible wrinkle. That gentlemanly charm under his roguish manner was what attracted her to him the most.

Patting him gently on the cheek, she left him to his business and descended into the cargo hold.

It was only partially lit by a lantern swaying overhead. An area in the center had been cleared out, with blankets spread out to make something that almost resembled a camp or a child's play fort, encircled by crates and barrels.

The Demon Kingdom's delegation to Big Cimaron (plus one) sat in a rough circle, now awake and beginning to chew their way through the rations that had been left for them.

"Is this really food?" Yuri grumbled around a piece of what might have once been meat. "Or just someone's old boots?"

Wolfram moaned. "Don't say that word," he complained, turning a green pronounced enough to be visible in the low light.

"Seasick again, Wolfie?" Celi cooed, kneeling beside her youngest and smoothing back his hair. He shuddered, forcing down rising bile.

"If you're not eating, then I'm gonna take your portion of the, uh, dried fruit or whatever," Yuri decided. Turning to the man next to him, he added, "Can I have yours too, Conrad? I'll trade you my, um, meat for it."

Startled at being addressed directly, Conrart appeared discomfited. He had studiously avoided meeting anyone's gaze and remained silent enough to almost let everyone forget his presence. Celi sadly watched him hesitate before offering Yuri a small smile.

"Of course, Your Majesty," he said, pushing his untouched rations toward Yuri.

For all his obliviousness, Yuri could be observant at the most inconvenient times. "No appetite? Are you seasick too?" he asked, picking out the parts he wanted and swapping in the ones he disliked.

Conrart didn't answer, but fortunately, Yuri didn't press, his attention drawn by something else. "Oh, by the way, my name is actually Yuri. Yuri Shibuya. Sorry about lying before," he said, smiling sheepishly.

"He knows," Wolfram grumbled, sitting up with an effort of will, though Celi urged him to lean against her. "Which, by the way, I'd like an explanation for. Among other things."

"I guess there's a lot we need to explain," Yuri said, chewing thoughtfully. "But there's stuff I don't get either. So where do we start?" He shared a look with Murata.

Murata sighed and pushed up his glasses. "Well, let's start at the beginning," he said.

He and Yuri exchanged another look. "That would be three years ago, right?" Yuri said, and Murata nodded.

He paused, staring into the shadows as he gathered his thoughts.

"As you know, Shibuya and I came here from another world, Earth," Murata began. "There, we're just ordinary kids. We met in middle school, three years ago. We were in the same class, but we weren't close. Then..."

Hesitating for a moment, he saw that every pair of eyes was firmly fixed on him, waiting.

"One day, I got cornered by some bullies. Shibuya tried to help me, but..." Murata pushed up his glasses, hiding his expression. "But, they ganged up on him and tossed him in the river. He hit his head and... by the time I pulled him out, Shibuya wasn't breathing."

There was a sudden clatter as Conrart reached, reflexively, for his sword, which no one had bothered relieving him of. He wasn't the only one. "That... that's... Earth is supposed to be safe," he said, somewhere between demanding and pleading.

Yuri smiled comfortingly, laying a hand on his arm. "It's okay. I'm fine, see? Murata called an ambulance and everything."

Murata nodded slowly. "Yes, but that wasn't what saved Shibuya. It was magic. I felt it... The Great One's magic. He had reached between worlds and..." His lips pursed, and Murata shook his head.

"When I came to see him in the hospital," he continued, moving on, "Shibuya told me he remembered another life, in another world. The old memories of his soul had become awakened."

"That's right," Yuri said, picking up the story. "It was a little weird, but I could suddenly remember a little bit of the person I had been before I was born. Most of those memories faded away, and I can't remember them now, but I still kept some things, like being able to speak the language and the same pact with the spirits. And in return, Murata told me about his own past lives."

"As the Great Wiseman, I can remember all my past lives, back four thousand years," Murata said. He shrugged. "Well, those memories are more distant for me, like something out of a book I read."

"The Demon Kingdom was a secret we shared for three years," Yuri said, smiling nostalgically. Ducking his head, Murata turned away. "We compared notes and made some plans. I started practicing magic, just a little. We thought... we'd have a lot of time, you know?"

"I haven't been back in the Demon Kingdom for a few lifetimes," Murata said, "so I didn't know the situation here very well. I had expected Shibuya to grow up on Earth until the Great One summoned him. But then, a little while ago, both of us felt it... that something had gone wrong."

"The Boxes," Wolfram muttered, his nausea forgotten as he focused his attention on their story. His narrow-eyed look was unreadable.

"I knew we needed to find out what had happened," Murata explained. "But the gate between worlds needs to be opened from both sides, and it takes a great deal of power. When I tried to reach out to the Great One, I couldn't feel him."

"We wondered why the new Demon King could not be summoned," Celi murmured. "Ulrike said even she couldn't hear the Great One's voice."

Murata glanced at her for a moment, then nodded. "Ultimately, Shibuya and I had to take a gamble," he said. "We plunged into the gap between worlds from a place where the boundary was thin. If I hadn't been able to reach Ulrike and guide us out again, we could've easily been lost forever beyond the edge of the worlds. Currently, there's no way for us to return to Earth."

Pulling his knees to his chest, Yuri curled up and pulled the blanket tighter around himself. Wolfram shot him a quick look, lips pursing in a frown. Beside Yuri, Conrart appeared lost in thought, his brow furrowed deeply.

"But what happened to the Great One?" Josak finally asked.

Murata hesitated. "I suppose" he finally said, "he might have exhausted his power by reaching across world like that and saving Shibuya. Even the Great One has limits."

Yuri's eyes darted to him, but he didn't say anything.

"Which is why I'd like to hear more about what happened with you, Lord Weller," Murata said, turning to Conrart. Wolfram followed his gaze with narrowed eyes, what Murata had revealed before clearly on his mind.

Surprised to suddenly find himself the center of attention, Conrart glanced around quickly. "...Yes. I'll explain everything," he said quietly. "To the first issue, I know His Majesty's name because I was the one charged with taking his soul to Earth in preparation for his birth. I had made sure he was well before returning to the Demon Kingdom, and I found out the name his parents chose for him at that time." His expression darkened. "Earth... was supposed to be safe..."

"Wait a minute," Yuri said suddenly, his eyes narrowing. "Wait a minute. If you, a Demon Tribesmen, were around for my birth... does that mean you're the guy that told Mom what July is called in this language? The super handsome, super nice fencer who shared a cab with her?"

When Conrart hesitated, Yuri leaned in, almost knocking their foreheads together as he tried to stare the man down.

"Um, yes," Conrart stumbled over his words uncharacteristically, probably unnerved by Yuri's sudden proximity and focused attention. "I didn't expect her to use that name..."

"That makes you my godfather!" Yuri beamed, sidling up to Conrart. "That's so cool."

"That's really a Japanese thing, Shibuya," Murata reminded him. "Don't dump responsibility on him like that. He just said something Mama really liked, that's all."

Yuri sulked while Conrart took a moment to work through his surprise. "No, I'd be happy to, um, be your godfather," he said, smiling a little. "It's an honor, Your Majesty."

He received a very flat look. "You're responsible for this weird name," Yuri told him. "So you better use it."

"As you wish... Yuri."

The smile Yuri gave him was bright and honest, and Conrart couldn't help smiling in return.

"Setting that aside," Wolfram said, huffing in annoyance while Murata tried to hide a smirk, "explain what you two were talking about back in Big Cimaron. What did you mean about the Great One giving you orders?"

Celi and Josak both started, their eyes darting to Conrart. The faint beginnings of hope and relief flickered in their expressions.

Conrart looked away, but Murata took up the explanation. "It's pretty easy to deduce if you think about it," he said. "Lord Weller's arm was the Key to the End of the Wind. It was cut off, but here he is, with two arms again. Something like regrowing an arm or even attaching another is so difficult it's almost purely theoretical, no matter how advanced your magic skills."

He paused, letting them absorb his words.

"The only one who could have accomplished something like that is the Great One," Murata concluded.

"Wait, that doesn't make sense," Wolfram protested. "You just said that the Great One exhausted his power! If he could do something like that, then why not bring Yuri to this world?"

"Keep in mind the sequence of events," Murata said reasonably. "The Box was only opened afterwards. Perhaps whatever power he recovered was used by this act." He appeared to think for a moment. "Furthermore, Lord Weller was on the verge of death. In that state, between life and death, it would be easy to communicate with him, especially considering the connection they share through the pact of the Keys. It would be something different from magic as you know it. And in this case, I believe the Great One transferred ownership of another Key to him."

Even Yuri was watching Murata closely, hearing this explanation for the first time. His expression was slightly dubious, or perhaps simply confused.

"Then... Conrart was acting on the Great One's orders?" Celi ventured to ask, her arm tightening around Wolfram's shoulders. If that was the case, then Conrart would be exonerated, his apparent betrayal of the Demon Kingdom forgiven.

Conrart looked away from her hopeful gaze. He nodded slowly. "After that battle, I saw a vision of the Great One. He ordered me to collect the four Forbidden Boxes and bring them to the Demon Kingdom," he explained quietly. "He gave me this arm and left me in Big Cimaron."

From that moment, his mission had been clear. It had been something only he could do. And... the Great One had known that Conrart would not act for his sake or for his orders alone. He had asked him to throw away everything for...

Conrart shook his head, pushing the thoughts the away.

"Belar realized from the start that I possessed a Key and allowed me into his ranks," he continued. "I was sent to pursue the Box that had passed through Svelera first, though it had already been moved to Caloria. Then, to Francia, after the Box in their possession."

Next to him Yuri nodded, knowing this part of the story. "And that's where we met," he concluded. The fact that their meeting had included him being imprisoned didn't seem to bother him, for all that the thought of it made Conrart feel by turns cold and strangely warmed. At least he knew that Yuri hadn't suffered anything worse than boredom and a bit of chilliness.

"Conrad," Yuri began tentatively, looking up at the man, "when he talked to you... did the Great One look okay?"

It was a strange question, and clearly caught not only Conrart but also everyone else off guard. As the others stared at Yuri in surprise, Murata pushed up his glasses. 'You can be very intuitive, Shibuya,' he mused, 'at all the most inconvenient times.'

"...I suppose so," Conrart finally said. "I did not get the impression of strain from him, but perhaps I was simply unable to judge something like that correctly. After all, I can't use magic."

Silence fell over the group, everyone focused on processing what they had learned.

"Well," Murata said finally, "is there anything else anyone wants to discuss?"

There was, clearly. Conrart glanced at Yuri, thinking of what Yuri might have wanted with Adalbert and all that him knowing of Julia implied. But Yuri had avoided mentioning just who his prior life had been, and Conrart would take his cue from that. He remained silent as Yuri smiled at him again.

Wolfram's gaze darted toward them, but he too said nothing, only frowning to himself.

"If not, I'm going to get some water and some fresh air," Murata said, standing slowly and groaning a little, like an old man. "All that talking wore me out."

Waving over his shoulder, he climbed up the stairs to the deck. Yuri watched him go as he nibbled half-heartedly on a piece of dried fruit. The atmosphere in the cargo hold was just too heavy, and Yuri wished he could just follow Murata out.

The first one to move was Celi. Standing, she moved to crouch in front of Yuri and Conrart. Slowly, she reached out to lay a tentative hand on Conrart's arm, as if afraid that he might pull away or vanish altogether.

"Your Majesty..." Celi began, hesitating. "About Conrart..."

"Hm?" Yuri looked up at her, then at Conrart. "About his mission? Well, I get that the Great One's orders are very important, but Murata said the last Box is on Earth. So no one can get to it, right? The only way we can travel back there is to wait until the Great One can help us open the gate between worlds." He shrugged. "When it's time, we'll all go together. As long as we get it done, how we do it shouldn't matter much, right?"

His reasoning seemed perfectly sound to Yuri, but both Celi and Conrart only stared at him. "...Leaving such an important mission hanging feels a bit weird, but there's nothing else we can do, right?" he tried, smiling sheepishly.

"Kiddo," Josak said flatly, when he realized no one else would do it, "they're asking you what Captain's punishment is going to be and if you're going to pardon him."

'Punishment? Pardon? For what?' Yuri wondered. "I told you already that, as the Demon King, I would definitely forgive you," he said, meeting Conrart's gaze squarely. "I've heard out your reasons, and they make sense, even if I think it was stupid of you not to tell anyone. What else is there to say? Now, let's keep our promise, okay?"

Looking into Yuri's dark, determined eyes, Conrart could only bow his head. He really was completely helpless against this boy. "As you wish, Your Majesty," he murmured.

Yuri huffed, frustrated, and thought of his mother. How did she go about forcing to call her "Mama" (since Shori certainly never succeeded in his quest to be called "Big Brother" again)? Miko Shibuya had employed a number of tactics, some more effective than others.

He decided to start with good old-fashioned guilt-tripping. "Eh," Yuri drew out, "so I'm just Your Majesty again? Is it because you don't like me?" 'Don't you love Mama, Yuu-chan?' Miko would cry crocodile tears. There was no winning against that.

The same was true for Conrart. He flailed, subtly, and held out his hands as if to comfort Yuri. "Of course not, Your... Yuri!" he assured the boy.

"Really? I'm so glad!" Yuri beamed, losing all signs of his prior sadness. Nearby, Josak snickered, and Celi hid a smile behind one hand. Grumbling something under his breath, Wolfram flopped down on the floor and covered his eyes with one arm. Now that things had settled, he was starting to look green again.

Yuri smiled. "I'm gonna get some fresh air too, okay?" he said. "You guys probably have a lot to catch up on."

Briefly resting one hand on Conrart's shoulder as he stood, Yuri quietly departed.

~.~.~

Yuri found Murata easily enough, standing next to the railings on deck and looking out across the calm sea. The sea breeze ruffled his short dark hair, but Murata didn't seem to notice, lost in thought.

Leaning over the railing, Yuri peered into the water. Despite his experience three years before, he had never been afraid of water or swimming.

"I was thinking," Yuri began, "back then, I really did drown. So wasn't I the same as Conrad? On the boundary between life and death?"

"Yeah," Murata agreed. "That's probably the reason why he was able to reach you like that."

Yuri nodded slowly. "But... I always thought that what saved me were Miss Julia's memories and her power," he mused.

"That's true," Murata said. "You reached deep into your soul and drew power from its previous lives. That strength helped you pull through when your own strength wasn't enough."

"I suppose there was also that other thing," Yuri continued. "But, would the Great One's power really have been exhausted from that? And if he knew it would be, then why do something like that? It wasn't necessary, was it?"

"It probably wasn't. But then, even I don't know what he's thinking," Murata replied, smiling strangely, his gaze still unwaveringly fixed somewhere in the distance. "In any case, even if that magic is beyond any living being, it still wouldn't have exhausted him, not to that point."

Yuri didn't appear surprised. He just looked annoyed at Murata's unhelpful response and waited, trying to stare his friend into clarifying faster.

"It wasn't that his power was completely drained. It was just the final act he chose to make. He must have know that it was already too late then. You noticed it, didn't you, Shibuya?" Murata said, sighing. "That's why you asked Lord Weller about him."

Slowly, Yuri nodded. "He didn't look well at all," he said quietly. "And he apologized to me. He said... he'd run out of time. He said he wasn't be able to do anything anymore. That I shouldn't trust him, after this." His mouth twisted, sadness filing his expression. His hands clenched, digging into the wood of the railing. "But he was still trying to help me."

Murata smiled bitterly. "He's a lot like you, in some respects. Just as stubborn, I'd say," he murmured. 'And just as kind, in his own way.' "After all, he was able to resist the taint of the Originator for four thousand years. Even if in the end... it proved too much for him."

"The Originators...? Is that what it was?" Yuri wondered, his eyes widening.

"Yeah," Murata said, closing his eyes tiredly. "He has probably been completely taken over. It was too soon... He sealed himself away, so they couldn't act through him to influence the world in their favor. He kept fighting as long as he could, but at this point he must already be... completely gone."

"Then you think the Originators were the ones to give Conrad those orders?" Yuri said, frowning.

"Purposefully placing a Key as near as possible to its Box? All in the hands of a madman like Belar?" Murata said cynically. "That's the likeliest explanation." His shoulders slumped. "It looks like... we're on our own. We're alone."

"You're wrong. We're all in this together."

Slowly, Murata looked up, his gaze drawn unerringly to Yuri, who had turned his face to the sky, the sea breeze and the gentle morning sun.

Anyone else, he thought, would have been panicked or at least unsettled by the revelation that the Great One himself was likely to become their enemy. But Yuri didn't look frightened or uneasy.

He smiled sheepishly, turning to Murata. "It might have been my fault that he decided to do that. I told him to stop fighting already," Yuri said. "He was trying so hard to help me, even though it must have hurt him so much. So I said, 'I don't need your help. I can do this myself. Leave the rest to me, to everyone. It'll be okay. You'll see, we'll make it.'"

'He looked so surprised. But the he smiled,' Yuri thought, 'and agreed. I wonder why he insisted on doing that one last thing, though.'

"...It must have been a relief to him," Murata mused. "That stubborn idiot..."

"I know that I'm just some kid," Yuri continued. "I can't do something as amazing as defeat the Originators. But I can do my part. And together, we won't lose. We'll finish this four thousand year old quest. With our strength, wisdom and courage, we'll triumph over the Originators and bring peace to the world! ...Isn't that how it goes?"

'I see,' Murata thought. 'So he believed in your promise and finally allowed himself to rest. Then, I'll believe in you too.' He blinked, realizing something. 'Heh, I guess it's too late for that. I've believed in you all along...'

"...Shibuya, you're really something else," Murata murmured. "But, I'll definitely support you. I'll help you fulfill that promise."

~.~.~

((Apparently, in canon, Yuri and Murata were in the same class only in second and third years of middle school, so uhhhh divergence...?))

((A chapter of nothing but blah-blah-blah explanations. Great. The most important point is actually which characters know what, and that Yuri and Murata are hiding stuff from everyone else.))

((Most of this has already been mentioned or implied, but now it's all laid out. If you have any questions, go ahead and ask. There is only a little bit left to be discussed next chapter.))


	25. III-10 The forgiver and the forgiven

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun.

Notes: They come home.

~.~.~

**Part III, Chapter 10**

_The forgiver and the forgiven_

~.~.~

"Back here again," Yuri sighed, looking around a comfortable room in the familiar villa-castle in the Karbelnikoff territory.

He and the rest of his party had been led to the meeting room after Fanberlain dropped them off and were asked to wait for Gwendal. Yuri just barely suppressed a shiver. He wasn't looking forward to that.

The sound of the door opening made Yuri shudder, and he had to force himself to turn to face it - and the man in the doorway.

Gwendal's expression could perhaps be described as thunderous, with a dash of violently displeased.

Next to Yuri, Wolfram gulped and straightened his spine, like a man about to face a firing squad. No doubt remembering the last time they had reported to Gwendal, even Murata looked a little uneasy as he pushed up his glasses.

For their part, Conrart and Josak both put on their poker face expressions - a bland smile and an easy grin, respectively. Yuri envied them a little for being able to hide their unease so well. Maybe it was an adult thing.

Only Celi was completely unaffected by her oldest son's aura of doom. Instead, she stared out the window and sighed dreamily, watching the disappearing speck of Fanberlain's ship. Thinking about it, that might have been her poker face. Being an adult even to Conrart and Josak, she must have been absolute master at hiding feelings.

Stepping inside and allowing the door slam shut behind him, Gwendal let his narrowed eyes pass over everyone assembled. 'At least they have all their limbs,' he thought. 'And we're not missing anyone.' In fact, there was an extra. Gwendal stared at Conrart for a moment, but he honestly couldn't even work up any surprise or real anger.

'I should have expected that from our king,' he mused, fatalistically. 'First Hube, now Conrart... What's next, Von Grantz?'

He had to make an effort to make sure his expression didn't soften. Just because he was more grateful than he could express wasn't reason to go easy on their fool of a king.

"You will be happy to know the Box arrived safely," Gwendal said, crossing his arms. 'And you were not with it, which I was not happy about at all,' his tone implied. "The king of Francia and his aide have departed for their homeland, although they left their well-wishes. They seemed quite certain you would be arriving shortly."

Gwendal, in did not need to be said, had not shared their certainty.

"We... had a bit of a delay," Yuri said, hoping against hope that Antoine and Lyla hadn't told Gwendal why, exactly, everyone had remained behind. "But it all worked out!" he concluded, smiling with forced cheer.

Gwendal continued to look unimpressed.

"Did it," he said flatly. "And was this the reason?"

His steely gaze turned to Conrart, trying to convey how very unimpressed he was with whatever nonsense his brother had been pulling. 'Mother cried, you idiot,' his glare seemed to say. 'Do you know how worried we- _she_ was?'

Really, their king forgave just too easily. Some kind of punishment was clearly in order.

Shoulders tense, Conrart drew himself up straighter, but his eyes wouldn't quite meet Gwendal's, staring instead somewhere just past his shoulder.

"Now that we got the Box from Big Cimaron, there's no reason for him to stay there," Yuri pointed out, as if that was completely obvious and reasonable.

At this point, he realized they hadn't actually decided whether to mention the Great One's involvement. There wasn't necessarily a reason not to, but something about the quiet revelations they had made in the dark cargo hold, huddled together in a circle and surrounded by a fortress of crates and barrels, felt like they should go no further than their small group.

'It doesn't matter either way,' Yuri decided. 'Knowing or not knowing doesn't change anything.' For him, that was true. Whether Conrart had acted on the Great One's orders or of his own volition, Yuri's opinion and actions toward him wouldn't change.

Yuri often forgot that most people did not share that perspective on things.

For a moment, Gwendal simply stared at Yuri, then at Conrart again. With a hint of despair, he realized that his mind was already churning to figure out how fit this turn of events into his plans and what paperwork he would need to file. There was no fighting the king's willfulness.

"Is that so," Gwendal said, trying hard not to let up in his displeased glare.

But before he could say anything further, the door behind him slammed open. A feeling of impending doom and terror at Gwendal's back made him break out in cold sweat. Knowing instinctively what he would see, he didn't dare to turn.

"I see you've returned! Welcome back to the Karbelnikoff lands, Your Majesty!" Anissina exclaimed cheerfully. She stalked into the room, ignoring or perhaps just not noticing the way Gwendal flinched as she passed him. "I must thank you, Your Majesty, and your wise mother! I've had such a breakthrough in my research! How did my invention work, Celi?"

As Anissina's gaze swung to her, Celi smiled and cooed, "Oh, like a charm, Nissie! It led me right to my boys!"

Anissina's eyes flickered to Conrart, and after quickly looking him up and down, she nodded briskly. "Done being foolish? Good," she said and turned away again. "But now that such a new, exciting avenue has opened in my research, I need subjects! I wanted to use that Gunter, with his deep love for His Majesty, but he ran off to Covenant Castle. And when I tried to use Gwendal and his love for all things cute, he just kept avoiding me!"

'Gwendal? Love? Cute things?' Yuri wondered, making an almost comical shocked expression. He couldn't figure out how those words would even work together.

"But then," Anissina continued, ignoring the way Gwendal was cringing behind her, "I thought of Your Majesty! Certainly, your love for our kingdom must the most powerful!"

That started Yuri out of his frantic attempts to reconcile frowning Gwendal and "loves cute things." 'What? What?!' he wondered frantically, as Anissina turned to him.

"Ahahah!" Yuri laughed nervously. "S-sorry, but I've got this thing... I need to... uh, go the capital! T-to do king-ly things!"

Disappointed, Anissina drew back and sighed. "I suppose it can't be helped. Be a good king, Your Majesty," she said, meeting his eyes evenly with a smile.

'...She's pretty amazing,' Yuri thought, smiling as well. 'Scary, though.'

"Um, well, I think Miss Celi could help you most," he ventured. "After all, she's a mother with three wonderful sons. And I think she shares her love freely, you know?"

Celi herself had come up behind Yuri and now lay her hands gently on his shoulders. "Thank you, Your Majesty," she said, leaning in to breathe lightly in his ear. "You're so kind, and so cute... Mm, I know~ Why don't we combine our love? Would that be something simply wonderful?"

Yuri made a choking sound, completely frozen in place. He could feel two soft somethings pressing against his back...

In front of him, Anissina just continued to watch calmly.

'H-h-heeeeeelp,' Yuri wailed in the confines of his own mind.

"Mother!" Wolfram protested loudly, reacting first, and Yuri could have kissed him. As Celi drew back and pouted, Yuri slumped, trying to catch his breath. He wasn't sure if he had just been given a vision of heaven or hell itself.

"Yes, please stop that, Mother," Gwendal agreed, reaching up to pinch at the bridge of his nose. "The former Demon Queen having an affair with the current Demon King would be a terrible scandal, one that we don't need." Looking meaningfully at Josak, Wolfram and Conrart, he added, "Let's end this here. I need to have a full debriefing before we head out to Covenant Castle."

Wolfram shuddered subtly.

Darting forward, Yuri clamped his hand around Wolfram wrist and pulled him toward the door. "I need to talk to Wolf about, uh, stuff!" Yuri declared over his shoulder, ignoring Gwendal's scowl. "We'll catch up with you later! Bye!"

Rather than wait for a reply - or, more likely, a demand for them to stop - the two boys burst into a full sprint down the hall and didn't pause until they were both out of breath. They finally drew to a stop at one of the castle's large balconies, looking out across the sea.

"...Thanks," Wolfram muttered, his shoulders heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

"No problem! That's what friends are for," Yuri replied, beaming. Turning to look out across the water, he added, "And I really do need to talk to you."

He could feel Wolfram's heavy gaze on him, but although the other boy's lips pursed into a frown, he didn't burst out with loud demands or questions. Coming to stand beside Yuri at the balcony railing, Wolfram waited patiently for him to start.

"I'm sure you noticed some things didn't add up. Murata and I left some stuff out, too. It would just make everything more complicated, and it doesn't matter much in the end," Yuri said. "But... you want to know, right?"

Wolfram closed his eyes, snorting quietly. "Yeah. You left out quite a bit. I can guess some of it," he said, glaring down at the stone railing between his hands. "Why you can't read, why you wanted to talk to Von Grantz... it's because your soul used to belong to Susanna Julia Von Wincott, right?"

"...Yeah," Yuri admitted.

"Is that why you were like that about Weller?" Wolfram wondered, his brows furrowing in thought.

Yuri shook his head. "I didn't even realize he was her friend until Murata explained that the pendant he gave me was from the Wincott family. I told you, most of it doesn't matter much in the end. I wouldn't have done anything differently."

"I suppose not," Wolfram muttered. "Stupid wimp."

Turning to him, Yuri waited.

"But Lady Julia was blind," Wolfram finally said, "she couldn't know the color of those flowers." And, though he couldn't say it, he felt she couldn't have known their significance either, a meaning that had been given to them at dawn, twenty years before.

Yuri nodded. "That's true," he agreed. "To be honest, I never even touched most of Miss Julia's memories. The ones I did receive really did fade away very quickly. Those memories were never mine, and I couldn't keep them. All I really remembered were the things that related to me directly. Like the fact that I was to become Demon King and..."

Waiting, Wolfram watched him expectantly.

"...The circumstances of our meeting," Yuri concluded. "I don't know why he did it, but the Great One chose to send my soul to the past. It was just for a little while, but I was able to meet Miss Julia and... she was able to meet me." He sighed. "It was like a dream, fading away in the morning light..."

For a moment, both of them were silent, staring around across the water.

"...I didn't want to bring it up because it doesn't change anything. In the end, it didn't matter," Yuri said, his expression pensive. 'I wasn't able to change anything at all.'

"You're wrong," Wolfram muttered, too quietly for his companion to hear. "It mattered..." 'That the boy back then was definitely him,' he mused, smiling faintly. 'Of course. Who else would be like that?' Shaking his head, Wolfram said, "It must have mattered. Otherwise, why would the Great One do it?"

Strangely, Yuri frowned. "I don't know. Miss Julia... had already accepted her fate. Meeting me didn't change her mind," he said. He had to believe that, for his own sake. Turning his face up to the sky, Yuri added quietly, "But... I think he wanted to give Miss Julia just a little hope. Even though he gave her such a cruel fate, I think he's a kind person, so he wanted to comfort her in the only way he could."

'Come to think of it, he only seemed to decide to do that after I yelled at him,' Yuri thought. 'Was it something I said? He apologized again. And then... he asked me to give a little of that light to her too. I wonder what he meant.'

Next to him, Wolfram bowed his head and forced himself to breathe deeply. 'Fate?' he thought. 'So that was her fate... You're saying something like that too casually, idiot.' "You're spending too much time with the stupid sage," Wolfram grumbled under his breath.

"It was just the two of us for three years," Yuri said. He felt a little nostalgic thinking about that time. Raising his face up to the sun, he felt the wind ruffle his hair. "I guess it's true what they say - sharing secrets binds people together."

Wolfram's hands curled into fists as he glared down at them. Straightening suddenly, he barked, "It's not just you two anymore! Don't forget that! You've dragged me into this mess, and you've got my brothers too! All of us will support you, just like Mother said!"

Yuri's surprised look slowly melted into a sincere smile. "I know," he said. "You've all got my back. I know... I wouldn't have made it this far without you. Thank you, all of you."

'I know,' he thought, 'I just a naive kid. But with all of you helping me... it'll be okay. We'll make their dream come true and keep that promise.'

~.~.~

"Woah..." Yuri drew out, looking across the grand panorama of Covenant Castle and the capital city.

Having been unconscious the last time he was brought to the capital, and then leaving surreptitiously in the middle of the night, Yuri hadn't yet had the chance to appreciate how amazing the castle and city looked from the main approach. It was a sight calculated to impress.

The highway had been all but cleared for them by the large contingent of soldiers Gwendal had gathered, despite Yuri's protests. Beyond the moving perimeter of guards, travelers who had moved off the road stood and whispered, watching the procession.

They must have made quite the sight. All three of the former Demon Queen's sons, Gwendal, Conrart and Wolfram, rode around the carriage containing their mother, while Celi occasionally waved out the window to a particularly good looking man. Glimpses of double black Murata could be seen across from her, since the Great Wiseman hadn't felt any need to ride a horse if he could just relax instead.

Yuri hadn't been trusted with any of the horses available, but he nonetheless had managed to bully his way out of joining the others in the carriage and instead rode beside Josak in the driver's seat. It felt a little like riding a parade float.

Most of the whispers and pointing was probably directed at him, since Gwendal had told him not to bother with masking his double-black colors. Yuri tried not to think about that, since such concentrated attention still made him feel incredibly self-conscious.

"We'll go through the main gate," Gwendal said, pulling up beside the carriage. He looked around with a frown that made some of the spectators cower away, even though his gaze didn't linger on anyone. "Might as well. It's already become a spectacle. I'll send ahead for a horse for the king..."

Yuri frowned thoughtfully and tried to catch Wolfram's attention. Leaning over as the blonde pulled up beside him, Yuri said quietly, "Hey, which gate did we go to that time?"

Wolfram's eyes narrowed as he realized what Yuri meant. "The northeast one," he said. His eyes darted to Conrart, and he huffed. "Fine. I'll explain to my brother."

Watching Wolfram move to ask Gwendal to change their route, Yuri smiled. Gwendal frowned as he listened to Wolfram's request, his gaze also turning toward Conrart for a moment. 'They're both worried about how he'll feel,' Yuri thought fondly. 'They all really do love each other.'

Yuri didn't know what Wolfram told Gwendal or what rationale he used, but the oldest brother nodded, somewhat reluctantly, and gave new orders to the troops. Conrart and Josak, who had been listening as well, shared a quick, meaningful look.

Josak's lips narrowed in an angry frown, but Conrart simply looked resigned.

They probably thought it was some kind of punishment, and Yuri watched them a little sadly.

But the scene in the city, down that wide street, was very different than it had been that morning. People lined the streets, the rumors having reached them about the procession - the arrival of the Demon King. They cheered, making Yuri blush a bit as he looked around, smiling sheepishly.

Looking up, he watched the inner wall and gate draw nearer.

"This is it," he said, standing suddenly. Surprised, Josak had to correct quickly as the horses broke their even gait, making Yuri sway as the carriage weaved slightly. Poking her head out of the carriage, Celi looked up at him questioningly.

Yuri smiled, gathering his magic. He turned to face Conrart, meeting the man's gaze squarely.

"It's time to keep our promise!" Yuri declared.

Throwing one hand up, he let the flower hurricane illusion engulf the street. Familiar blue flowers swirled through the air, falling endlessly from the sky. For a moment, all those watching caught their breath, then a renewed cheer split the air.

Conrart's eyes were wide and stunned as he stared up at Yuri.

"Welcome back to the Demon Kingdom," Yuri said, smiling and spreading his arms wide. "Everyone's been waiting for you. Welcome home!"

Slowly, Conrart let his gaze pass over the people around him - his oldest friend, his brothers, his mother... and Yuri. All of them were smiling at him, from Wolfram's almost hidden grin, to Gwendal's tiny smile of relief, to Yuri's open laughter.

He had thought that returning to the Demon Kingdom would be the end, when everything was finished, for better or for worse.

But this... felt like a new beginning.

~.~.~

((This is it. The end of what I had planned to write.))

((Will there be another part? It's up to you.))

You know what to do. REVIEW.

((Either way, there'll a bit of a break while I (perhaps) write up a good backlog. Also, ask away if you have any questions.))


	26. IV-1 Healing

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun. Season 2.

Notes: There's a downside to everything. Also, living arrangements are discussed.

~.~.~

**Part IV, Chapter 1**

_Healing_

~.~.~

Covenant Castle was in a state of barely controlled chaos.

The 27th Demon King, Yuri Shibuya, was about to be formally crowned, and along with the usual concerns from organizing a huge event came a series of unexpected difficulties.

"What do you mean, where should you accommodate the foreign delegates?" Gunter Von Crist, in charge of preparations, repeated. "Where do we usually lodge foreign guests?"

"We don't... usually have foreign visitors," a harried-looking chamberlain explained tentatively. He seemed a little in awe of the very prospect. "No foreign nation has sent a delegation to a Demon King's coronation in centuries. The few that come from Hildyard always insist on lodging in the city..."

'Because of mistrust,' Gunter thought. 'They didn't trust us enough to sleep within the castle walls. But His Majesty has changed thing so much, in just a few months! Ah, he is truly an amazing king already!'

Gunter sighed smittenly at his own thoughts.

But marveling at His Majesty the Demon King wouldn't solve their current problem.

"Then just put them in the guest wing," Gunter directed.

"We haven't finished renovating it since... you know," the man said, wringing his hands.

"The Bearbees, of course," Gunter sighed. "This is certainly a dilemma..."

"What is?" one of the servants asked. He had stopped to listen to their conversation, his arms full of sheets.

"We don't have to be gawking, boy!" the chamberlain snapped. "Get back to work!"

Gunter made a strange noise, staring at the boy. "Y-your Majesty!" he exclaimed, startling the poor man next to him. "Please, I beg of you, stop covering up your beautiful double-black colors! And stop pretending to be a servant!"

Sulking, Yuri allowed the illusion to fall, changing his previously brown hair and eyes back to black. "Come on, Gunter," he whined, "let me enjoy it while I still can. Pretty soon, everyone at the castle will be too familiar with me for it to work."

"Y... Your Majesty...?" the chamberlain stammered. He bowed deeply at the waist, baring his neck. "I deeply apologize, Sire! I had no idea it was you! I would have never knowingly taken such a tone with the Demon King himself!"

"It's okay," Yuri assured him. "Everyone is really busy. I wasn't actually going to pretend to be a servant again, but I wanted to help out."

"How noble, Your Majesty!" Gunter all but wailed.

"...Right. So, um, what problem were you talking about?" Yuri asked.

Quickly composing himself, Gunter explained, "The human nations of Francia, Cavalcade and Hildyard sent representatives to witness Your Majesty's coronation ceremony and to offer their congratulations. It's... a little unusual. Previously, the only country we had diplomatic relations with was Hildyard, and those were mostly mercantile in nature. Their representatives prefered to come after the coronation, to find out any changes in policy."

"But now we have treaties with Francia and Cavalcade, right?" Yuri said, beaming. "And Mr. Heathcrife probably came from Hildyard."

"That's right!" Gunter exclaimed. "But, unfortunately, that presents a problem. Simply put, we have nowhere for them to stay. Each delegation would need a separate suite, for security if nothing else. And the castle is already full, with all the noble families that have come to witness Your Majesty's glorious crowning!" For a moment, stars seemed to sparkle in his eyes, as he imagined what would take place the next day. "It's made worse due to a certain incident that rendered the guest wing unusable. Not to mention that the number of visitors is even higher because of the Great Birth Ceremony as well."

"That does sound like a problem," Yuri agreed. He thought for a moment, not noticing the way Gunter swooned at his king's considering expression. "What about all the empty rooms next to mine?" Yuri asked finally.

"Those are for the Demon King's family and retinue," Gunter replied.

"I don't have any retinue, or any family for that matter. Can't we use them?" Yuri wondered.

"Your Majesty, that would be highly irregular," Gunter protested.

Yuri met his eyes squarely. "Gunter," he said seriously, "this is really important, to me and to the Demon Kingdom. We need to do everything we can to make these alliances work. I'd give up my own bed and sleep in the stables if that's what it would take."

For a moment, Gunter looked like he would burst into tears. "That... would be inadvisable," he managed. "The nobles would riot. But... I suppose it's possible. The only ones in those rooms are Her Prior Majesty, Lady Celi, and her sons." He looked a little sheepish. "In all the confusion, we haven't actually gotten around to making new living arrangements for them. I suppose they could stay with their families during the coronation."

Yuri nodded decisively. "I'll ask them. It was my idea after all." He smiled at Gunter and the chamberlain as well. "Thanks for all your hard work!"

"Ah, Your Majesty~!" Gunter swooned as Yuri rushed off.

~.~.~

"Fine," Gwendal snapped, not looking up from the paperwork he was scanning through at amazing speeds. "I would stay with the Von Voltaire family in any case. It's my duty as clan head, to show solidarity." Suddenly, he barked, "Where are those permission forms?! They should have been filed last week!" Thankfully, it wasn't directed at Yuri.

"Thanks," Yuri said quietly and side-stepped a soldier rushing by to deliver another stack of papers. Ducking his head, he quickly snuck out of Gwendal's busy office.

"That was easier than I expected," he mused. "Heh, I guess it was a pretty good idea after all!"

Yuri found his next targets, Celi and Wolfram, together in the courtyard. They had been crouched next to the familiar flowerbed by the fountain, discussing something in hushed tones.

"...in just a few days," Celi was saying, smiling gently at Wolfram. "They're very strong like that. It's very fitting, don't you think?"

Wolfram didn't look nearly as happy, but to Yuri's eyes, his scowl was more embarrassed than displeased.

"What are you guys talking about?" Yuri asked, coming to stand next to them. Wolfram flushed, jerking away.

"Oh, just a bit of gardening," Celi said lightly, her smile becoming just a bit secretive. "Actually, growing new strains of flowers is my hobby. All these lovely ones are mine."

"That's amazing!" Yuri beamed, helping her up. As Wolfram stood as well, Yuri noticed that the knees of his pants were stained with dirt. His hands, though he tried to hide them quickly, were also muddy.

'Was he planting something?' Yuri wondered. But taking one look at Wolfram's thunderous expression, he decided it was better not to ask. Instead, he said, "Actually, I have something I wanted to ask you..."

As he quickly outlined his situation and made his request, Celi looked thoughtful, one finger against her chin. "Hm... Yes, this is very important, isn't it? Of course I'll help. I can stay with my brother," she said, giving Yuri a kind smile. "Making peace with human nations... how amazing. I wonder if any of the delegates are good-looking?"

"Mother..." Wolfram groaned in frustration. He huffed, but nodded as well. "I'll stay with my uncle, then." Seeing Yuri's slightly confused look, he clarified, "Not Mother's brother. My father's family, the Von Bielefelts. I chose to take their name at my coming of age ceremony."

"Oh, I see," Yuri nodded, but he darted a quick look toward Wolfram. He hadn't missed the flash of anger that passed across his face at the mention of Celi's brother. Hadn't Yuri heard something about him before?

'I guess I'll meet him later,' Yuri decided, shrugging.

"Do either of you know where Conrad is?" he asked instead.

For some reason, the question seemed to surprise Wolfram and Celi, and the former Demon Queen looked a touch sad.

Wolfram snorted. "How could we? Weller's been avoiding us," he said, crossing his arms and looking away angrily.

'Should've known. Two out of three brothers are bad at emotional things, so why would the third be any different?' Yuri thought, sighing.

"I see. Well, does he have any hobbies? Or a place he's likely to go?" Yuri asked instead.

Wolfram looked strangely uncomfortable. He seemed to hesitate before finally answering, "Swordsmanship. He's the best swordsman in the Demon Kingdom." Another pause, and then, "He likes horses too, I guess. And hangs around with commoners a lot."

'Swords, horses and commoners,' Yuri thought. '...Wait, are any of those even hobbies?'

"Okay, thanks," Yuri said, smiling to cover up his confusion.

He wandered away, lost in thought. Although Yuri had seen soldiers training in the courtyard, everyone was too busy with preparations for that. The stables were also in a swarm of activity, but Conrart was nowhere to be found. Yuri thought about checking the city, but imagining Gwendal's anger at that idea made him cringe and reconsider.

In the end, Yuri had to shrug and give up. Instead, he simply used another illusion as he passed through a shadow and called out to the nearest maid.

"I've got a message for Lord Weller, but I can't find him anywhere!" Yuri told her, making sure to sound worried, as if he thought his neck was on the line. He could have, theoretically, asked her as himself, the king, but that tended to take much longer.

The maid resettled her load of blankets as she thought for a moment. "I heard he's been helping unload supplies," she said. Leaning in conspiratorially, she added, "Everyone's been wondering if he got demoted or if he's being punished for something. Lord Weller is always very kind, but just hauling things around like that is a bit much even for him!"

"Demoted?" Yuri repeated. "I don't think so, since His Majesty wants to ask his advice about something." Privately, he thought, 'It's so weird, talking about myself in third person.'

As the maid scurried away, looking excited at this newest bit of gossip, Yuri made his way to where he knew most supplies were delivered. During his various stints as a nameless servant, he had been sent there on several errands.

Conrart was, indeed, among the men moving and fro with crates of supplies. As Yuri watched, Conrart heft what looked like a barrel of wine over his shoulder, with enviable ease, and carried it out of the trader's wagon.

Yuri almost hailed him when he set it down, breathing deeply and already turning back to get another, but at the last moment, he reconsidered and paused to drop his illusion.

"Conrad!" Yuri hailed him cheerfully, stepping out of the shadows.

Conrart, as well as every other person in the vicinity, turned to stare at him.

"Your Majesty," Conrart greeted him with a pleasant smile, hiding any surprise he might have felt. Instantly, whispers broke out among the other servants.

"Call me Yuri," the king said, though this time he refrained from implementing another of Miko Shibuya's special tactics. Instead, he continued, "Do you have a moment? I need to ask you something."

"Of course, Yuri," Conrart replied, expertly ignoring the way the whispering around them had grown in force. They were certainly generating a lot of extra fuel for the rumor mill, especially once Conrart carefully pulled Yuri aside, so they would have at least some privacy.

As Yuri quickly explained his problem, Conrart nodded attentively and smiled. "It's amazing that you've already changed things this much. Making these alliance is a very important step for the Demon Kingdom," he said. "In the future, I'm sure arrangements will be made ahead of time, but for now your solution is a good one. I'm sure my mother and brothers will understand why it's necessary. Strictly speaking, they should have probably already left the Demon King's wing of the castle."

"I already asked them," Yuri said, smiling as well. "They agreed! They'll be staying with their families."

Conrart's expression turned surprised. "That's good, but... in that case, why did you want to talk to me about it?" he ventured.

"...Gunter said Miss Celi and her family were staying in those rooms," Yuri said slowly, feeling as if they had run across some fundamental miscommunication, "so I wanted to ask you if there was another place you could stay too. Is your family also coming to see the coronation or maybe the Great Birth Ceremony?"

For a moment, Conrart appeared to hesitate, and Yuri realized he had said something unfortunate, or at least something completely off-base.

"...I'm staying with Josak at the moment," Conrart said finally.

That didn't tell Yuri much at all. 'And where does Josak live?' he wondered. 'The barracks? But that's a really weird way of putting it then. Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter...'

Seeing the confused, dubious expression on Yuri's face, Conrart hurried to explain. "I was declared deceased for quite some time, Your Majesty," he said, still smiling. "And things since our return had been very busy, so I'm afraid there hasn't been time for anyone to assign me new living quarters... or new duties."

He gestured around him to indicate the cargo unloading, and Yuri made an "oh" of realization. 'I guess his old duties must have all been reassigned,' he thought, a little sadly.

"Sorry," Yuri said, sheepishly. "I guess it's been pretty crazy. Hopefully, it'll all die down soon."

Conrart nodded. "I'm happy to help even in a small way," he said.

Another caravan of wagons had been led in, all brimming with more urgent deliveries for the castle. The servants, who had been shooting Conrart and Yuri very interested, very badly hidden looks, suddenly swarmed into action, beginning the unloading process all over again.

Bowing to Yuri, Conrart and excused himself and joined it.

It wasn't until Yuri had quietly slipped out that he realized just how many unanswered questions he still had.

~.~.~

The long day had finally drawn to a close, but Yuri's nerves kept him awake even long after he had retired for the night.

He had been pacing his room, trying to remember every detail of what would be expected of him during the coronation and the Great Birth Ceremony afterwards, when sharp knocking suddenly sounded at his door.

Pulling the door open, Yuri stared in surprise at Wolfram, who took the initiative and quickly shoved him inside.

"Sorry about that, but I didn't want anyone to overhear," Wolfram said, closing the door as he followed Yuri in. He hesitated for a moment, staring at the wood in lieu of turning to face Yuri's inquiring gaze.

Taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders, he finally spun around and said gruffly, "Can I stay with you tonight?" His scowl did nothing to hide his embarrassment.

"Sure," Yuri replied automatically. "Why?"

"T-there's nothing weird about it!" Wolfram insisted, though Yuri hadn't said it was weird at all. "Young men often stay at their friends' manors when they have trouble with their family! Like when Drake refused to join his father's evil extremist council and ran away to stay with Theo, in the fifth book!"

'Fifth book? What book?' Yuri wondered, before shaking his head. 'That's not important!' His expression shifted to concern. "You had trouble with your family?" he asked.

Wolfram sighed, the fight suddenly going out of him, leaving only tired sullenness. "...You could say that," he muttered. Meeting Yuri's gaze, he explained, "My uncle figured out right away why I suddenly wanted to change rooms. He... wasn't pleased. He didn't think it was appropriate for humans to be in the castle at all, much less in the Demon King's wing."

"He wouldn't let you stay?" Yuri asked, feeling the first stirrings of anger at the thought.

"That's not it," Wolfram sighed again. "He wouldn't put me out like that. It's just... we argued. I didn't want to stay there anymore." In other words, he had stormed out, and his pride wouldn't let him go back. He smiled wryly, with more self-awareness than he could imagine having just a few months ago. "We're all very passionate, in the Von Bielefeld family."

Moving to the couch, he plopped down and leaned back with a sigh.

"It's because you defended my decisions, right?" Yuri asked, sitting next to him. "I guess not everyone is going to be happy about making peace with humans." 'Of course not,' he thought, frowning. 'I should have expected that. Gunter and Gwendal probably had to cover for my decisions, too.'

"Don't worry. No matter what they say or how they feel about it, even the Ten Families will follow you," Wolfram said, weary but certain. "It's the Great One's will. You are the Demon King. Starting tomorrow, it'll even be official."

"But I don't want them to obey just because the Great One said I should be the Demon King," Yuri muttered. "I want them to understand what I'm trying to do that, that this is for the good of the Demon Kingdom."

Smiling, Wolfram let his eyes slip shut. "They'll understand one day." 'Like I did.'

There was a moment of companionable silence. Then...

"...Wolfram, did you bring a change of clothes or anything?"

Groaning, Wolfram bit off a curse.

~.~.~

((I wanted to convey a certain sense that Wolfram might be a bit inexperienced with interpersonal relationships. So all he knows about manly friendship comes from adventure novels.))

((And Wolfram makes his way into Yuri's bed :P Wouldn't be KKM without it.))

...Wait, no. What the hell. No! Where did this pseudo-Yuuram nonsense come from?! I don't like Yuuram! I don't even like Wolfram! Why has my own story betrayed me?!

Anyway. We're back! From now on, we're on a strict schedule of updates Monday-Wednesday-Friday mornings. And by strict, I mean I'll update if I feel motivated. In other words, please review.


	27. IV-2 One day, a perfect world

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun. Season 2.

Notes: Yuri gets crowned and welcomes children to the Demon Tribe. Well, he's a kid himself, so...

~.~.~

**Part IV, Chapter 2**

_One day, a perfect world_

~.~.~

"I can do this, I can do this," Yuri chanted to himself, pacing in a narrow loop. Stopping suddenly, he paled. "No. I can't. I can't do this at all!"

Watching him calmly, Murata smiled. "You already said you would, Shibuya. It's too late to back out," he said. Yuri didn't appear particularly reassured. "It'll be fine," Murata tried instead. "You just have to walk down the center, stick your hand through the waterfall, wait a bit, turn and wave. Anyone could do it."

"Seems like a weird tradition," Yuri muttered, finally calming a little.

Murata shrugged. "They say that the Great One will grip your hand as a sign of acceptance."

"A handshake?" Yuri repeated. "But why here? The Great One's Tomb is up on the mountain."

"There's something of him here, too," Murata murmured mysteriously. Pushing up his glasses, he added, "Not that you need to worry. There won't be any reply from him."

'Because he sealed himself away to buy us time,' Yuri thought. 'To stop the Originators from using him as a puppet.'

Yuri knew that Murata had to be thinking the same thing. He couldn't imagine how Murata felt, knowing his old friend had suffered that kind of fate. Trying to think of some way to lighten the atmosphere, Yuri fiddled with the lavish red cloak that had been tied around his shoulders. It mirrored the one that had been worn by the Great One in Yuri's dream-like meeting with him.

'That's no good...' Yuri thought, shaking his head. He needed to focus on something else.

"I-I can't believe you had them make school uniforms for us!" he said instead, a little too loudly. "I mean, really, no matter how you look at it, this is just a plain black Japanese high school boy's uniform. Should we wear something more... elaborate?"

Murata chuckled. "Oh? I thought you'd feel more comfortable in that. Putting you in one of the ceremonial outfits from this world just seemed like asking for trouble. Besides, you would've needed someone to dress you then. Do you really want that, Shibuya?"

'Dress me..' Yuri shuddered, remembering terrible, terrible things from his childhood. He loved his mother dearly, but she had traumatized him many ways. Still, the more time passed, the more nostalgically he could look back on those memories.

Seeing Murata's satisfied smile, Yuri realized his friend had been trying to cheer him up in turn.

Suddenly, Murata glanced away, toward the massive double doors.

"It's time, Shibuya," he said, waving Yuri onward.

As he pushed at the heavy doors, Yuri swallowed heavily. They swung open majestically, revealing the grand hall beyond. People lined both sides of the main carpeted path, all of them finely dressed noblemen and women.

His eyes instinctively darted across their faces, and Yuri could see just a few familiar ones - Gwendal, standing with what had to be his family; Gunter, beside a young woman with dark green hair and eyes; Wolfram, just a bit behind a handsome man in blue; and even Anissina further away.

And, to one side, stood the human delegates. There were only a few of them, but Yuri instantly recognized Heathcrife, who smiled at him.

At the far end, Celi stood beside a narrow waterfall, looking stunning in a crimson gown, an elaborate crown in her hands.

Without even thinking about it, Yuri had taken a step forward, then another. Murata fell in behind him, as Yuri continued down the aisle.

Up the steps, and he was beside Celi, looking up into her beautiful smiling face. She leaned in close and whispered, "Don't be scared. It's all just for show. Stick your hand in, wait to the count five, then pull it out and wave. You'll do great." She winked, and Yuri smiled back, a little queasily.

Turning to the waterfall, he could see a round opening at about chest level. He reached inside, trying to imagine what might be beyond.

'One... two... three...'

'Great One,' Yuri thought. 'I'm sorry you have to wait like this. I hope you're alright. Hang in there. We'll make this right, I swear.'

He wondered if anyone could hear him.

For an instance, it almost felt like his fingers intertwined with another's.

'Four... five...'

But the sensation of touch vanished almost as soon as it had come.

Pulling his hand out, Yuri turned and waved. The crowd began to clap, too refined to cheer. Nonetheless, their applause was deafening, resounding in the great stone hall. Turning back to Celi, Yuri saw that she was holding up the ornate red and silver crown and ducked his head to let her place it over his black hair.

It was heavier than he expected.

~.~.~

"Next is the Great Birth Ceremony, right?" Yuri asked anxiously, as castle personnel scrambled around him to ready the procession to the Tomb of the Great One.

"Indeed, Your Majesty!" Gunter trilled. "First, we will pass through the city - and perhaps you can address the common people, if you wish - then, we will head to the Tomb of the Great One, where all children born during the year will be reported to the Great One and the children of noble birth will receive a special prayer."

"The Great Birth Ceremony, huh," Yuri mused. He smiled, making Gunter swoon a little. "It's kind of nice that my first official act as Demon King will be to welcome children into the Demon Tribe." 'Better than something boring, like signing permits, or something terrible, like readying for war,' he thought privately.

"Yes, Your Majesty-" Gunter began, only to be suddenly cut off as another's booming voice intruded on their conversation.

"That's right! It is truly a suitable beginning to our young king's reign!" The speaker was an older man, with combed-back blonde hair and a neatly trimmed beard. It took Yuri a moment to realize why he looked familiar. He could see that Gunter recognized him too, as his advisor struggled to keep his expression smooth.

The man bowed deeply, though with an air of overacting, rather than genuine respect. "I am Stoffel Von Spitzweg," he introduced himself.

"I'm Yuri Shibuya. Nice to meet you," Yuri replied reflexively, with all the manners his mother had managed to drill into him.

Stoffel's smile was very wide as he suddenly stepped forward, a little too close to be polite, and grasped Yuri's hand in both of his. "You've met my sister Cecilie, yes? I helped her greatly during her own reign as Demon Queen," he said, either ignoring or not noticing the way Gunter just barely cut off a sound of indignation. "I would, of course, be happy - nay, ecstatic! - to serve you in the same capacity. Why, this fine melding of events was one of my suggestions!"

"That... was very thoughtful of you," Yuri said, trying to surreptitiously draw back, only to find his hand firmly trapped.

"Really, Lord Von Spitzweg," Gunter tried to protest, "there is no need. I will assist His Majesty, should he require it!"

Stoffel's smile was cool and a touch patronising as he turned to Gunter. "And I'm sure His Majesty will be happy to have your... help," he said, and something about his tone made Yuri's free hand clench into a fist. "But it would seem His Majesty is not so much in need of a tutor - after all, he has already proven himself capable of, well, rather unique deeds - as of someone to mind the homefront, as it were, while he is away."

It had been a while since Yuri's temper had been stirred like that, and he felt a sudden certainty that, if Stoffel continued to talk much longer, Yuri would punch him in the face, just like he had with his baseball coach.

Fortunately, someone else stepped in.

A firm hand clamped onto Stoffel's shoulder, drawing his attention. Looking behind Stoffel, Yuri's face brightened.

"It's been a long time, Lord Von Spitzweg," Hube greeted the man who had once been his ally. Neither appeared enthusiastic about the reunion.

"...Quite," Stoffel muttered, his smile twisting unhappily. "I had heard you were granted a pardon, Lord Griesela. It's good to see you are... well."

The comment was probably meant to be mocking. Of the three men Yuri had glimpsed in the past, only Hube appeared to have changed. He looked as if he had aged every one of those twenty years. Heavy lines had gathered around his mouth, and the edges of a jagged scar were visible beneath his large eyepatch.

But compared to the way he had looked the last time Yuri had seen him, Hube appeared rather well indeed.

The reason for that stood behind him.

"Hube! Nicola!" Yuri called out, honest happiness in his voice. "Thanks for coming! I'm so glad to see you again."

Pulling out of Stoffel's slackened grip, he moved to greet the couple. Hube bowed his head deferentially, appearing almost uncomfortable under Yuri's concentrated good regard, but Nicola returned Yuri's smile easily. The bundle in her arms wiggled, and a small chubby hand snuck out, waving.

"Oh! Is that..." Yuri wondered, peering closer.

Shifting the blankets, Nicola revealed a baby's round-cheeked face, tuffs of brown hair visible around it. "Yes," she said, holding the bundle up to Yuri, "this is our son, Ernst. El for short."

"So you did use that name," Yuri murmured, tentatively holding out a hand and watching the baby's tiny palm wrap around his finger. "I'm really a godfather now..."

"Godfather?" Nicola repeated.

Yuri laughed sheepishly. "Murata keeps telling me it's a Japanese thing. But where I'm from, the person who names the baby is like their guardian, you know? It's a special connection." He waved his hands. "It's not something you need to worry about! I know it's not a tradition here."

Nicola smiled. "We'd be honored, Your Majesty," she said. "And I'm sure El would love to have you as a godfather too. See, he likes you already." She glanced at Hube, who nodded slowly.

El really was a very cute baby, Yuri thought, leaning in a little to study his round, happy face. He definitely took after his mother. Even Hube smiled a little as he looked at his wife and son.

The other two men had been completely left out of their little group, but while Gunter simply watched the scene fondly, knowing how much Yuri had wished to bring that small family together, Stoffel struggled to hide his frown. He cleared his throat loudly, catching their attention.

"Yes, how nice," he congratulated them. "You'll be heading down for the Great Birth Ceremony, then? I'm sure that... child will be a great blessing to the Griesela family."

Nicola nodded, blushing a little. "Yes, Hube's parents have been so kind. They've really welcomed me and El into the family."

"Things have certainly changed," Stoffel noted, his smile a little odd. Clapping his hands together, he turned Yuri again. "All thanks to His Majesty, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes, we owe him a great debt," Hube agreed quietly.

Laying his hand on Hube's shoulder, Gunter spoke up suddenly. "Let me congratulate you as well, Lord Griesela," he said. "I'm happy to see you and Nicola find happiness together."

Hube nodded solemnly, while Nicola beamed at Gunter. Yuri remembered suddenly that Gunter had been the one to bring Nicola to the Demon Kingdom. 'He's really a great guy, isn't he?' Yuri thought. 'Even if he carries on so much, he's helped me a lot...'

"Yes, let me offer my congratulations as well," Gwendal said, coming up to them, Wolfram in tow. His smile was a tiny, barely-there thing, but for him it was a sure sign he had made peace with his cousin.

"...Yeah," Wolfram agreed, shifting uncomfortably. Then, seemingly steeling himself, he bowed to Nicola, to the woman's great surprise. "I'm sorry for my words before. I was completely out of line!" he declared forcefully.

Yuri - and everyone else - stared, hardly believing that the proud young lord brat had managed an honest apology.

But Nicola only smiled. "It's alright. I could tell you had a lot on your mind. Please don't worry about it," she said.

Raising his head, Wolfram blinked at her in surprise and shrugged awkwardly. His eyes met Yuri's, and Wolfram blushed at the sheer approval and pride he saw in the other boy's expression.

In fact, Yuri couldn't help but beam happily at everyone. They were all such amazing people, and he was so honored, so glad to have met them. Suddenly, he just wanted to gather them all in a great hug, even grumpy Gwendal and uncertain Hube. Instead, Yuri laughed, bright and cheerful.

But somehow, there was a feeling of something missing. Thoughtfully, Yuri glanced behind him, almost expecting Murata to be there, though he knew his friend had gone on ahead to the tomb. That wasn't quite it, in any case. Was it Miss Celi? She had told Yuri is was his time to shine, and that she'd gone through enough of these ceremonies during her own reign. So instead, she had taken off to find some good-looking man to lavish her attention upon.

'That's not it either,' Yuri thought.

His eyes lingered on Gwendal and Wolfram, the two brothers as different as night and day, but still somehow alike, and suddenly Yuri realized who he had been thinking about.

"Hube!" a high child's voice cut through the noise of the preparations going on around them. Hube's expression showed recognition and a flash of happiness as a little girl with dark skin and short curly hair squeezed her way through the servants and nobles and rushed up to him.

"Greta," Hube greeted her warmly, crouching down to her level.

"Hube, I'm so happy to see you!" she exclaimed, unhesitatingly wrapping her short arms around his neck. "I missed you!"

His large hand stroked her back gently, a fond light in Hube's single eye. "Greta," he said, pulling away a little, "there's someone I want you to meet. This is Nicola."

Smiling, a little tentatively, Nicola knelt as well. "Hi, Greta. Hube told me a lot about you. Thank you so much for helping him," Nicola said.

"And this is our son, El," Hube continued.

"So you did find them. I'm so glad, Hube," Greta said, sniffling a little. "You're going to be a great father. El's so lucky to have you..."

"And you? How have you been, Greta?" Hube asked.

The girl smiled shyly. "Good! Mister Heathcrife is really nice, and Beatrice and I are really good friends. You don't have to worry about me, Hube! I'm happy, really," she insisted.

Yuri watched the scene quietly, knowing it wasn't any of his business. He jumped a little when a warm hand was laid on his shoulder. "It's a touching reunion, isn't it?" Heathcrife said, coming up to stand next to Yuri. "Huber left that girl in my care. She was the one who helped him escape from the dungeon in Svelera, you see. She was worried about him, so I brought her with me to see your coronation. Congratulations."

Nodding, Yuri said, "Thank you for coming! It's only possible because of all your help."

"Thank you for having us," Heathcrife countered. Stepping aside a little, he gestured to the little girl clinging to his side. "By the way, this is my daughter Beatrice." Smiling a little, she curtsied.

"Hi there," Yuri greeted her, waving.

"We probably aren't supposed to be here," Heathcrife confided, "but I wanted Greta to see Huber, so we snuck away from the other delegates."

"It's quite alright," Gunter said, moving to join them. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Mister Heathcrife."

"You as well, Lord Von Crist..." Heathcrife agreed, smiling.

As the two men continued to exchange pleasantries, Yuri and Beatrice exchanged a look. It was, they both decided, time to sneak away. Beatrice hurried over to Greta's side, the two girls linking hands as they peered at baby El. Yuri smile, watching the sweet scene, but his expression shifted as he scanned the area in search of a certain figure.

"Hey, Yuri," Wolfram said, coming up to him, "want to ride with me? Or is Gunter trusting you with a horse after all?"

"I'm gonna go on one of the carriages," Yuri replied, a little distracted. He caught sight of a familiar shade of orange - Josak, who instead of helping with the final preparations, loading couples and babies into carriages, was staring at Hube, Nicola and the children with a strange expression.

"On, but not in," Wolfram noted with exasperation. "Of course."

"Mm... Hey, Wolf," Yuri said, finally turning back to his friend, "have you seen Conrad?"

The question clearly caught him off guard, and Wolfram stared at Yuri, before his eyes darted toward Hube and Nicola.

'That's right, I'd almost forgotten about that,' Yuri thought.

"Did he not come?" Yuri pressed. "I mean, I don't think I saw him during the ceremony. Is his family here?"

"...Weller doesn't have any other family," Wolfram finally said. "His father was a human." He paused, but Yuri only waited patiently for him to continue. Wolfram sighed a little, wondering what he had expected. "After his actions during the war, he was awarded a high standing, but now, I'm not sure..."

"I see," Yuri murmured. Already moving away, he called back over his shoulder, "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Ah, Your Majesty!" Stoffel tried to hail Yuri, but the king simply waved and hurried onward, leaving the nobleman to look after him with a darkening frown.

"Josak!" Yuri called out instead, waving to the other man. "Mind if I ride with you again?" Since he was to act as one of the coachmen for the carriages to travel to the Tomb of the Great One.

Josak grinned easily, his earlier expression slipping away. "Sure, kiddo. Or, I should I say, Your Majesty~." He sketched an almost mocking bow, but this time there wasn't any cutting edge to his teasing. Even he seemed pleased and excited.

"Great!" Beaming, Yuri turned and waved to the rest of his friends. "Hube! Nicola! Over here! Let's ride together!"

Startled, Josak threw him a sharp look, but then shook his head with a small smile. "Not bad," he muttered. "You got me there, kiddo. But I guess if you, of all people, forgive him..."

Something about that comment seemed strange, but by the time Yuri glanced at him, Josak had turned away.

~.~.~

Then, it was time to depart.

Wolfram and Gunter hurried away to their horses, but Gwendal climbed into the carriage with Hube and Nicola, while Yuri scrambled up onto the front driver's seat with Josak. As they pulled away, leading the procession, Heathcrife, Beatrice and Greta waved them goodbye.

The streets were crowded with people, though they parted quickly to allow the procession through. Smiling so widely his face hurt, Yuri waved and called out greetings. He suspected that Gwendal and most nobles would disapprove of how quickly he abandoned propriety, but Yuri didn't care. The joyful atmosphere was infectious.

As they exited the city, pulling out onto the comparatively empty main road, Yuri sighed happily and leaned back. The blue, blue sky stretched out above, members of the Wing Bone clan circling over the procession. Smiling, Yuri waved to them too.

The atmosphere at the Tomb of the Great One was more subdued, but not by much. The priestesses and their guards were just as excited, for all their decorum, not just by the holiday they looked forward to all year, but also the visit of their newly-crowned king.

"Shibuya! Over here!" Murata called out, waving Yuri over. "Come on, let them get everything set up."

The ceremony was to take place in the central chamber, where the Great One's crest rested high up on the wall, water perpetually running down from near the high glass ceiling. The three Boxes were at the altar as well, though they had been covered by ceremonial cloths and appeared to be just pedestals of some sort.

Nonetheless, looking at them, Yuri felt a shiver go down his spine.

"It's alright," Murata said quietly. "Ulrike and I have been taking good care of them." He nodded subtly to the young girl who had joined them at the altar.

"Ulrike?" Yuri repeated. She was so tiny even he towered over her. It was hard to believe she was the head priestess Murata had mentioned so often.

She blushed, ducking her head. "Yes, Your Majesty," she said demurely. "It's an honor to have you here."

"Thank you for everything," Yuri said, bowing a little. "Murata said we couldn't have made it without you. We really owe you a lot."

"I'm honored to serve Your Majesty," she said, her blush deepening. "In any small way I can, with even just my prayers." Something sad passed over her sweet face. "I'm glad... that they can reach someone."

There were only five children of noble families born that year, each placed in a cradle in front of the altar. Their parents stood at the head of each bed, and at the far end of the chamber, the representatives of other noble families had gathered.

Slowly, a hush fell over the hall as the ceremony began.

Taking a small pot of red paint, Ulrike approached each cradle and dabbed three dots on each child's forehead.

Moving back, Ulrike paused in surprise as Yuri knelt in front of her. "Your Majesty...?" she whispered.

He smiled sheepishly. "Ah... I know I wasn't born here, and it's a bit irregular, but... could you..." Reaching up, Yuri pushed back his fringe and offered his own forehead. Ulrike's eyes widened in understanding.

Smiling, she dabbed three dots, like a _tomoe_. The paint felt cool against his skin. If Yuri remembered correctly, it symbolized... uh, something or other. To be honest, he didn't remember at all.

"Your Majesty, the list of names," Gunter said, stepping up to the altar and presenting an ornate scroll. Fortunately, this ceremony was far more lax than most, and just accepting the scroll would be enough. It would be placed in the Tomb's archives, with records stretching back almost four thousand years.

It seemed a shame to just hide it away though. Yuri knew that Gunter had painstakingly copied each name from the citizen registry himself, and even if he couldn't read them, Yuri thought the calligraphy was beautiful in its own way.

With a smile at his advisor, Yuri gripped the edge of the scroll and pulled it open, trying to make the gesture as grand and dramatic as the ones he had seen in his favorite historical dramas. It unfurled, draping over his forearms like a ribbon marked by arcane symbols, and turning to the altar, Yuri slid it onto one of the covered Boxes.

Might as well get some use out of the things.

When he turned back to the hall, he could see that Gunter's eyes had gone misty with joy.

"I present these children, born of the Demon Tribe, to our founder, the Great One," Yuri announced, as he had been told to. "May they inherit your strength, wisdom and courage. Please welcome them among your people."

Though it wasn't part of the ceremony, Yuri bowed. "And," he added, "even though I wasn't born here in the Great Demon Kingdom, please welcome me into your tribe as well. I'm looking forward to working with all of you for the sake of our great nation."

For a moment, everyone was silent, surprised at his addition to the ceremony. Then, smiling, Ulrike stepped forward, bowing to him in return and taking over the proceedings to perform the special prayer. Her white robed figure looked ethereal as she spread her arms wide before the Great One's sigil.

"Your Majesty..." Gunter appeared to stifle a sob, keeping his voice out of respect to their location and the ceremony. "That was wonderful! So touching! We are honored to have you join our people. Ah, if it is Your Majesty's wish, we can prepare a coming of age ceremony as well!"

"Coming of age?" Yuri repeated. "I don't want to wait until I'm twenty to become part of the Demon Tribe."

"No, Your Majesty," Gunter assured him. "Among the Demon Tribe, we are recognized as adults at sixteen. That is when we decide the path our lives will take."

"At sixteen? Huh. Then I guess I already did that," Yuri mused. At Gunter's questioning look, he smiled, though the expression was somehow not entirely happy. "I already turned sixteen. My birthday is at the end of July, right at the start of summer vacation. It was just a few days before Murata and I tried to cross to this world. I celebrated it with my family. We had already decided to come here..."

The sadness he felt at the thought of his family surprised Yuri. He suddenly had to blink away tears. With all the running around they had been doing, looking for the Boxes, he hadn't had a chance to stop, think or really consider the fact that he might never see them again.

'Stupid! Pull it together,' Yuri chided himself. 'You already decided to do this! There's no reason to get all depressed now. It's not as if I've been unhappy. I'm glad I came here... I'm glad...'

A warm hand on his shoulder startled Yuri out of his thoughts. He looked up at Gunter in surprise. The man's expression was kind and fond, but not in his usual way. He appeared the regal, scholarly man everyone had told Yuri about.

"Then I acknowledge Your Majesty's resolve," Gunter said, squeezing gently. "You are truly a man of the Demon Tribe. And... I am honored to count you among my students."

Yuri couldn't help it. He blushed.

~.~.~

((So I've started reading translations of the short novels. Novels 1 and 2 are available from Asphodel's Heaven, which is nice. Unfortunately, like most Japanese novels, they're in first person... I hate that so much. I'm basically just reading to see the differences from the other versions now.

((Anyway, the beginning was adapted very faithfully, especially in the manga. There's a few interesting details: Yuri was thinking of joining the kendo club in high school, Conrart looks like he's nineteen or twenty (!). Yes. He's that young-looking. Manga even confirms that twenty years ago (four years Mazoku time?), Conrad looked like a high schooler.

((Also, in the novels, the Demon Tribe is explicitly composed on many races. Some of the humanoid ones mentioned are the Healers (green hair and eyes, joined the Demon Kingdom two thousand years before, extended Demon Tribesmen's lives) and the Lake Shore People (purple hair and eyes, long lived, includes Ulrike). Notably, that last one is implicitly contradicted by the anime, where Ondine and by extension Ulrike haven't aged because they are priestesses, compared to Seraphine.))


	28. IV-3 Two sides

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun. Season 2.

Notes: Yuri goes to a peace conference. It's not very peaceful.

~.~.~

**Part IV, Chapter 3**

_Two sides_

~.~.~

Shortly after the coronation, a messenger from Big Cimaron arrived.

The poor man's voice shook as he read out the formalities, including Belar's many titles. He looked like he expected to be killed, at the very least. What sort of crime must he have committed to be assigned the task of delivering Belar's no doubt provoking message to the feared Demon Tribe?

Yuri pondered that to avoid thinking about just what the message might contain.

"...Thus, the glorious empire of Greater Cimaron would like to convey the following message," the messenger continued, finally reaching the most important part.

Yuri fought to maintain his composure, even as he broke out in cold sweat. 'Even Belar wouldn't do that, right?' he thought. 'Just, please, don't let it be a declaration of war.'

"Regarding the matter of forbidden artifacts and their use, we propose a peace conference among all the nations," the messenger read out. "To show our goodwill and dedication to this cause, we offer Greater Cimaron's territory on the island of Van Da Via as the meeting place."

Caught by surprise, Yuri completely missed the closing formalities. 'Wait...' he thought, stunned. 'Wait, that's a good thing! A peace conference! That's... amazing!'

The others didn't share his enthusiasm.

"It's a trap of some sort," Gwendal stated, once the messenger had been dismissed, scurrying out as if the hounds of hell were at his heels. Fortunately, there was no RSVP needed. Instead, everyone had reconvened in Yuri's office, including Murata, who had been summoned from the Tomb to give his opinion.

"At the very least, Belar will use this as pretext to attempt to gain political support," Gunter added.

"We can't not go!" Yuri protested. "This is a great opportunity! Besides, Francia and Cavalcade will be there, for sure. We have to support them too."

"What's the point? We have all the Boxes, except the one on Earth," Wolfram pointed out, crossing his arms. "It's not like they can decide to use them against us."

"It's precisely because we have all the Boxes that we have to go. Otherwise, everyone will think we're planning to use them against them!" Yuri shot back.

"Don't forget that Belar probably still doesn't know we have the End of the Wind," Murata reminded them, pushing up his glasses. "In any case, this'll be Shibuya's first official foreign visit as Demon King. Isn't it exciting?"

"We'll send a delegation," Gwendal allowed, "but there is no need for the Demon King himself to attend."

"Of course I'm going!" Yuri protested.

Wolfram and Murata exchanged a knowing look. "Look on the bright side," Murata suggested to Gwendal, "he didn't just sneak out this time."

Gwendal clearly did not see that as much of a bright side.

"So the only question is who will be going with him," Murata continued. He quickly added, "I'm out. I'm have to stay here, to mind the Boxes."

Wolfram sighed. "I'm out too. I'm going to go see my uncle. We've both had some time to cool down, so maybe I can convince him, even just a little."

"Oh, I see," Yuri muttered, drooping a little.

Frowning deeply, Gwendal nonetheless nodded. Their excuses were reasonable. "I will go," he decided. 'Otherwise, who knows what this brat will say or do?'

"What? You? But... but don't you have to stay here?" Yuri wondered, flailing. "To... to keep the castle running and stuff?"

Yuri's questions - showing how little he still understood of statecraft - did nothing to appease Gwendal. "Gunter can handle these matter in your absence," he emphasized the last part, making it clear whose work would actually be left not done.

"Leave it to me, Your Majesty!" Gunter exclaimed. "Though how I wish I could accompany you as well...!"

"You'll need to take someone else too, Brother, if only for appearances," Wolfram noted. 'I'm not sure even my brother can keep up with Yuri's nonsense. I'm not sorry to miss out on this.' As he pondered the situation, something seemed to occur to him. 'Ah. That could work...'

"We'll keep the group small. Wouldn't want to scare the humans," Gwendal said, his mouth twisting almost mockingly. He ignored Yuri's reprimanding look. "It'll make getting out quickly easier as well, when things go badly."

"Don't just assume it'll go bad!" Yuri complained.

Pretending not to hear him, Gwendal said, "I suppose I'll bring Gurrier. He's useful and good at dealing with unexpected situations."

Murata nodded approvingly, while Yuri muttered, "So now I'm an unexpected situation?"

"You should take Weller too," Wolfram said suddenly, drawing surprised looks from the others. "They're old friends, so they'll work well together. Plus, it's what he gets for skipping out on meetings."

"Hey, wait, you're making it sound like punishment detail!" Yuri sputtered.

Gwendal, who had been about to object, reconsidered. It seemed somehow fitting. Poetic, almost.

~.~.~

"Wow, so this is the place Miss Celi wanted to visit! I can see why!" Yuri couldn't help but marvel as he looked up at the island's twin peaks.

However, despite its appearance as a southern tropical paradise, Van Da Via island was overcast and shadowed by dark clouds. The cause was likely the thick pillar of smoke billowing out of the left hand mountain, creating a smog that hung over the island.

"The mountain shouldn't be that active," Gwendal noted with a deepening frown. "Did it get disturbed because of the Box?"

"Wait, that's an active volcano?" Yuri demanded, suddenly worried. Directed by the people in the port town, their party had been heading up a winding road for a while, climbing toward the smoking mountain's peak. "We're not going up there, are we?"

"It should be alright," Conrart assured him. "The shrine on the mountain actually looks over the lava pools. Part of the yearly Fire Festival involves visiting the shrine and casting offerings into the volcano. In fact, I believe we'll be staying at the hotels used for Fire Festival visitors."

That seemed quite likely. The road they had taken was wide and well-kept, clearly meant for those with no intention of roughing it. Nonetheless, Yuri hadn't been trusted with a horse and rode behind Conrart.

As they crested the last slope, a small village of what looked like manor houses came into view. Yuri could see that some were already occupied, colorful flags on full display. In others, maids were running to and from, preparing them for guests.

Those further down the path were still boarded up and closed.

To Yuri's surprise, the architecture of the buildings and even the outfits of the islanders were almost Japanese in many ways. The men who directed them to an unoccupied area were dressed like pole bearers in a festival, and the maids wore robes that looked invariably like _yukata_ under their aprons. They even tied up their sleeves!

As they rode deeper into the visitors' village, Yuri craned his head to get a better look at all the people that swarmed the streets. Although Gunter had tried to cram-session the various countries into Yuri's head, most of the flags and people they passed were completely unfamiliar.

"The delegations from Francia, Cavalcade, and Hildyard are probably on the other side of the village," Conrart told him quietly, realizing what Yuri was looking for. "This event was organized by Big Cimaron, and they likely arranged to have us separated from our allies."

"It's okay," Yuri decided. "We'll see them at the conference itself, and in the meantime, we'll make some new friends too." He was determined to make the best of this opportunity.

The peace conference itself was to take place in an event hall in the center of the village. It was probably meant for dances or something similar, but a grand table had been brought in, chairs arrayed around it.

Counting them up quickly, Yuri wondered if so few counties were expected. Gunter's list had seemed much longer.

"It's because only the main representative will be seated," Conrart explained, leaning over Yuri's shoulder. "That would be you, Your Majesty. Gwendal and I will stand at your back."

Josak would apparently be doing spy-like things instead.

Several delegations had already arrived, but Yuri didn't recognize any of them. Only one had taken a seat - a young woman with pale blue hair and green eyes. Though beautiful, her face was worn by worries and exhaustion, and an almost palpable negative aura surrounded her. Even the other delegates gave her a wide berth. The only one close to her was the young man standing just behind her chair, the ornate handle of a wide sword visible over his shoulder.

As soon as Yuri entered, followed by the two brothers, all eyes turned to him. The delegates began to mutter to themselves, and Yuri could just make out whispers of "double-black" and "Demon King."

The sudden scrutiny made Yuri hesitate. But with the two men at his back, he couldn't back away. Instead, squaring his shoulders, Yuri walked forward into the meeting hall.

The delegates seemed to cower away from him.

It was as if some kind of invisible dividing line marked an area around him that was somehow unsafe for humans. Yuri's earlier uncertainty was quickly swallowed up by annoyance. He could tell that Gwendal was barely stopping himself from sneering, but Conrart continued to smile blandly, as if completely uneffected by their reactions.

Huffing, Yuri stalked demonstratively to the table and pulled out the chair opposite the lovely young woman and her bodyguard. She didn't cringe away as he plopped down, perhaps a little too much like an angry kid. Her expression was unreadable.

It was better than an outright negative reaction, right?

"Hi!" Yuri greeted her, rather lamely. His smile was also a little shaky. "I'm Yuri Shibuya. It's nice to meet you."

"Flynn Gilbit," the young woman replied. Her lips twisted into a faint frown. "You're the Demon King, aren't you? A double-black."

For a moment, Yuri flailed. He wasn't used to people being so straightforward with him. Pulling himself together, Yuri met her eyes. "Yes," he said as evenly as he could. "I'm the 27th King of the Demon Kingdom."

"You're just a boy..." Flynn mused. But a moment later, something seemed to occur to her. "But the Demon Tribe are said to live far longer than a human. I suppose I shouldn't judge you by my human perceptions."

"Well, that's true, but I'm still just sixteen," Yuri admitted easily.

Behind Yuri, Conrart could see that Gwendal was struggling not to make some expression that would give away his frustration at Yuri revealing this potential weakness. 'It's not that bad,' Conrart thought, trying to offer his brother a comforting smile. 'This way they'll simply think he's a figurehead, because of his looks or his powers. It's not ideal, but there are worse things.'

Before Flynn could say anything else, more people entered the meeting hall. Among them was finally a familiar face - Antoine, followed by his faithful aide Lyla. Smiling, he waved cheerfully to Yuri.

"Congratulations on your coronation," Antoine said, sliding easily into the chair next to Yuri. Taking her place behind him, Lyla gave Conrart a surprised look, then just shook her head, refraining from commenting. "I'm sorry I couldn't attend in person. I had a lot of work that piled up after I was gone for so long." He looked a little sheepish, but at least the strain of his stay in Cimaron had faded.

"That's okay. Your representative was really nice," Yuri said, though all he really remembered about the man was his fancy black beret. "I know what you mean. There's so much paperwork..."

"All that signing..." Antoine intoned.

They sighed simultaneously, commiserating. Gwendal glared down at them both, feeling a twitch start to develop under his eye. And the conference hadn't even started yet.

Soon the delegates from Cavalcade and Hildyard arrived, the latter - Heathcrife - nodding to Yuri but remaining instead with the older man Yuri recognized as being the one sent to his coronation, mostly due to the man's impressive mustache. They were joined by another delegation, which Antoine told him was from Sondergard, Cavalcade's neighbor. All three settled on Antoine's other side, greeting him the familiarity of a long acquaintance.

Yuri had wondered why there weren't any place cards or why no one seemed to introduce themselves. But the reason quickly became quite clear. 'It's like an exclusive club,' he realized. 'Everyone knows everyone.'

Even Antoine, who had apparently never left his country before the mess with Big Cimaron, knew many of the delegates from their visits to Francia, or just from hearsay. Yuri was also instantly recognizable, just by virtue of his coloring, though it was probably the first time many of these people had seen a Demon Tribesman.

The only one who seemed to be unknown was Flynn. Yuri caught several of the later arrivals leaning over to their acquaintances and obviously asking about her. Whatever the reply was, it drew looks of pity and discomfort.

Before Yuri could work up the nerve to ask as well, a small squad of soldiers filed into the meeting hall, their brown uniforms clearly marking them as Big Cimaron troops. The delegates fell silent, though many looked displeased with the show of force.

Belar swept in, his long thick coat trailing behind him. He had made no concessions to the island's tropical climate, and instead wore the same fur-lined lavish garments as during their visit to snowy Cimaron itself.

"Welcome!" Belar declared, smiling without joy. "Take a seat, and we will begin this peace conference."

His eyes swept over those assembled as those still standing finally drifted to sit at the table. He spared only a considering look at Yuri, his glare instead focusing on Conrart. Belar's lips drew back in snarl before he managed to gain control of himself and settled at the head of the table.

The seat on Yuri's other side remained empty.

"I think we all know the reason why we have gathered here," Belar began grandly. "Weapons. Dangerous magic weapons that should not be allowed to fall into the hands of those that would misuse them. It is our duty... no, an absolute _necessity_ that we control these objects of terrible power, lest we are all... wiped out."

Flynn's chair skidded back as she stood abruptly, drawing everyone's attention. "We should start," she said, her voice shaking with strain, "with asking the ones who brought this situation about. Tell me, King Belar, where are the delegates from Small Cimaron?"

"It would seem they chose not to accept my invitation," Belar said, with apparent disinterest. "Relations are strained between my nation and theirs."

"We saw them arrive! They're here, somewhere!" Flynn protested.

Belar's eyes narrowed. "And you are? I don't quite recognize you."

"I am Flynn Gilbit of the free nation of Caloria," Flynn announced, drawing herself up with pride.

'Caloria?' Yuri mouthed, staring at her with new understanding.

"Caloria?" Belar repeated. "As one of their territories, you should be best suited to know their movements and whereabouts."

"We are no longer one of their territories," Flynn all but snarled. "After what they did... we will never bow to them again. Never."

Belar appeared disinterested by her proclamation, though it sent quiet murmurs across the table. Still, his eyes narrowed. "Of course, that means you are no longer bound by their laws. How fortunate. After all, a woman could not inherit otherwise..."

The young man behind Flynn growled, his slanted blue-green eyes narrowing at Belar. "That's enough," he said sharply. "Lady Flynn is an honorable woman who has fought to lead her people through a crisis greater than you can imagine!"

Unintimidated, Belar waved away his protests. "Of course, of course," he agreed almost mockingly. "Well, perhaps your old masters were simply too ashamed to show their faces."

His words were meant to infuriate, and they clearly succeeded, but Flynn seemed to just barely hold herself back, realizing her country's unfavorable position, compared to the might of Big Cimaron.

"It hardly matters," Belar dismissed that line of discussion. "They no longer possess any such weapon. It was retrieved by another country - the Demon Kingdom."

His contemptuous gaze turned to Yuri, the eyes of the other delegates following as well. The hatred in it made Yuri flinch, but he refused to look away.

"That's right," Yuri said, keeping his voice even through an effort of will, "I closed the Box in Caloria and took it back to the Demon Kingdom. The Forbidden Boxes were our responsibility since their creation. It was our failure that allowed them to become scattered across the world. For that, I deeply apologize."

"And now you are trying to retrieve that all, is that right? You have already obtained two," Belar noted. "Through various means..."

Flynn's eyes narrowed, even as the other delegates appeared uneasy. "I am grateful to the Demon King and the Demon Tribe," she said coldly, "for removing that terrible thing from my country. The land finally began to calm after that. Now, we may be able to rebuild, someday." She glared at Belar. "Certainly, no one else was able to do so."

"We also willingly passed the Box into Demon Tribe custody," Antoine spoke up, gulping a little as all eyes turned to him. "It was my decision."

Belar's smile was more like grimace, his anger at the mention of those events palpable. "Surely you must see why that would be a cause for concern," he insisted silkily. "Wouldn't it be better for the Boxes to be... distributed among all the nations? Such power should not be consolidated within any single country, wouldn't you say?"

"That certainly didn't stop you from attempting that," a turbaned man further down the table pointed out lowly. "Don't think your incursion into our lands passed unnoticed, Belar."

"We were simply trying to prevent such a tragedy from occurring," Belar countered. "Perhaps if Svelera had not supplied the Box to those who would misuse it..."

The Sveleran delegate drew back with a scowl. "We had no way of knowing what it was!" he protested.

"Yes, these objects can appear quite innocent," Belar agreed, changing tactics again. "In fact, they are simply wooden boxes... until the Key is placed inside."

"So if we isolate or destroy the Keys, the Boxes won't present any danger," another delegate murmured, following Belar's obvious implication.

"But just what do these Keys even look like?" someone else asked.

"It's simple," Belar said, smiling. "They are people."

Across the table, a profound silence held everyone frozen. It was all Yuri could do not to glance back at Conrart.

"Or rather, they are inside people, inside certain parts of members of certain bloodlines," Belar continued, relishing the rapt attention of the other delegates.

"That is correct," Gwendal spoke up suddenly, startling many of the representatives. "For example, the Key we found inside the Ends of the Earth, the Box retrieved from Caloria, was a severed arm."

The look Belar sent Gwendal was acidic. The other delegates appeared sickened.

"To be precise, the Key are continually passed down within the bloodlines of those that aided the Great One in sealing the Originators," Gwendal continued. "However, they are not reborn within every generation, and there is no reliable way of determining who has a Key."

Belar's eyes narrowed, his lips twisting in a smirk. "And three of those bloodlines belong to the Demon Kingdom, don't they?" he remarked.

Gwendal nodded, appearing unconcerned with the implications and the uneasy looks of the other delegates. "And the last belongs to Big Cimaron. The End of the Wind and the Key to it were entrusted to the ruling family of Cimaron," he said.

Everyone turned to look at Belar. Belar glared at Conrart.

The reaction seemed somehow strange to Yuri, and he glanced at Antoine, who also looked momentarily puzzled before his eyes widened in realization. 'I see,' Antoine thought. 'Big Cimaron claims it is the true Cimaron because they are led by descendants of Ancient Cimaron's ruling family. To say they don't possess this Key would be to admit to potential competitors for the throne.'

Not having the benefit of Antoine's insight - whether because Gunter had not had time to cover this aspect of Small-Big Cimaron history, or because the student had simply missed the whole thing - Yuri could only watch in confusion as Belar scowled and regrouped.

"Nonetheless, the members of those bloodlines can be tracked down and... protected," Belar suggested. "For their own safety, of course. After all, some poor man has already had his arm cut off for the sake of another's quest for power." The words were sour on his tongue, and Belar barely kept down his anger. His attempt at a smile was more like a grimace. "What did happen to that arm, after you retrieved it?"

"We burned it," Yuri said sharply. He had been confused, but now he felt himself growing angry. 'Tracked down? And what? Held hostage? Experimented on to see if they have the Key?' he thought. No one had any illusions about why Belar proposed this. It certainly wasn't for the sake of those people.

"We thank you for your concern," Gwendal said much more calmly, but with a frigid undercurrent that brooked no argument, "but as you pointed out, three of those bloodlines are among the Demon Tribe, and we will protect our people, from anyone who wishes to do them harm." He tilted his head, almost mockingly. "We will trust you to do the same."

Uneasy silence fell over the meeting table. The delegates exchanged glances, seemingly unwilling to be the first to speak up.

"Nonetheless," one of the delegates finally said, leaning forward, "you must see how this would a source of concern to us. You have two Boxes and the Keys to use them..."

"What does having the Keys have to do with anything?!" Yuri demanded, finally losing his temper and jumping to his feet. "You're talking like they're things, but they're people! It's because we have them that we'll never use the Boxes! We would be throwing away someone's life!"

"As if something like that would bother a Demon..." someone further down the table muttered.

Yuri glared, trying to find the speaker, but the human delegates wore the same distrustful expressions. His fists clenched, shaking.

But before he could do something foolish and regrettable, Heathcrife stood up as well. His expression was perfectly calm. "I think we'll all learned many things we need to consider carefully," he said. "And I'm sure we are all tired from the journey here. So why don't we adjourn for the day and continue our discussion tomorrow?"

He politely turned to Belar, as if asking for his permission. The king of Big Cimaron frowned, but waved one hand lazily. "Why not?" he drawled, rising to his feet. "After all, we'll still be here tomorrow." His eyes swept over those gathered, lingering on Yuri. He sneered and swept out of the meeting hall, his soldiers following.

As Belar walked past, Heathcrife bowed in acknowledgement. The moment he was gone, Flynn's chair skidded back as she stood and strode out as well. Slowly, the other delegates began to rise and depart.

Letting out a weary breath, Yuri hung his head. "That... didn't go very well, did it?" he wondered.

"It wasn't that bad. You did well, Your Majesty," Conrart said, giving Yuri a smile as he laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Gwendal was less optimistic, but even he seemed less angry than Yuri had expected. "It was always going to be like this. Humans fear and loathe the Demon Tribe. There is no point in expecting anything else," he said, as if it was obvious.

That reasoning didn't make Yuri feel any better. Turning to the only other delegates remaining at the table, Yuri said, "Thanks for your help, Mr. Heathcrife. It seems like I've got a long way to go with this diplomacy stuff."

"It's only natural to be passionate when you're young," Heathcrife replied easily. "Now, rest up. We're in for a long day tomorrow. The hot springs here aren't quite as good as the ones in Hildyard, if I may say, but they're quite nice all the same." He winked, making Yuri smile, before turning to join the delegates from Cavalcade and Sondergard, who had lingered nearby, waiting for him.

"It'll be alright," Antoine added as he and Lyla also prepared to depart. "No one's exactly fond of Big Cimaron either."

Somehow, _that_ didn't make Yuri feel much better either.

~.~.~

The hot springs were quite nice indeed, but rather than being refreshed, Yuri felt lethargic.

As he had first thought when they arrived, the inn was very familiar to Yuri. It felt like a _ryokan_, a traditional Japanese inn - the slant of the roof, the sliding doors, even the sleeping robes they provided.

Yuri remembered the inn his family had visited on vacation, a few years back. He had pushed Shori into the _onsen_ in the back, and they played table tennis until they were completely exhausted, mainly because Yuri had refused to concede to his brother.

Making his way to his room, Yuri sighed. It was certainly spacious and luxurious, perhaps too much so. During the family trip, they had shared a room. During school trips too, and during most of his time traveling around the other world, if only for security reasons. The bed was too large for Yuri but it still looked lonely in the middle of the giant room.

Even though he had prepared for bed, it was still early in the evening, and Yuri suddenly felt full of restless energy. Pacing across the wide expanse of his room, he knew he didn't want to just sit here and brood about the talks or, even worse, his home and family. He needed to do something.

But this time, Murata wasn't here. It was probably the first time in three years when his friend wasn't in easy reach, if only as someone to prod at and bother. Wolfram wasn't there either, for all that Yuri had gotten used to the young lord's presence since arriving in the other world.

He couldn't turn to Gwendal. He would just be bothering the man, and Yuri still found him terribly intimidating. And for all that Josak presented a friendly, easygoing front, Yuri couldn't shake the feeling that he was much like Murata, all hidden thoughts and plans. But Josak wasn't a close friend, whom Yuri trusted no matter how convoluted and manipulative his plans got.

Stopping in the middle of his room, Yuri hesitated. There was only one thing to do, but...

'Oh, just do it,' Yuri chided himself. 'He's really nice! Even if he gets annoyed, he'll still put up with you. It's just for a little while.'

Moving decisively, before he could completely lose his nerve, Yuri stepped out of his room and marched down the hallway to where he had been told Conrart was staying. He only hoped he had the right room, as he raised his fist and knocked.

"Conrad? Are you there?" Yuri called out.

Before he had even finished speaking, the door was pulled open. Conrart regarded him with polite interest, still perfectly arrayed despite having retired for the night a while back.

"Is there something I can do for you, Your Majesty?" he asked.

His expression was welcoming, but the question made Yuri's doubts redouble. 'That's right, I'm a king. I should at least act like it,' Yuri chastised himself. 'What am I, a little kid, looking for attention?'

Forcing a smile, he said, "Sorry, it's nothing, really. I... uh, ran out of towels, wanted to ask if you have any extras."

It was an amazingly lame excuse, and Conrart didn't appear to believe it for a moment.

Looking at Yuri thoughtfully for a moment, Conrart smiled again and stepped aside. "Please come in, Your Majesty," he said, "and I'll check."

Conrart's room was a lot smaller, which was only to be expected, since Yuri had been given the grand suite that seemed to take up almost half the inn's second floor by itself. The room was also almost entirely untouched. The guest robe still lay neatly folded on the bed and there were no belongings lying around to mark that the room was occupied by someone.

Feeling rebellious, Yuri flopped down on the bed, the previously pristine sheets and bedspread wrinkling around him.

"Have you been to the hot springs?" Yuri asked, though he could already guess the answer. "They're really great."

Settling in the chair next to the bed, Conrart answered, "No, but Josak said they were quite nice, though not quite as nice as the ones in the Demon Kingdom. That might be just his Demon Tribe pride speaking."

"Oh, there's hot springs in the Demon Kingdom too?" Yuri said, rolling over onto his stomach and messing up the sheets even more. Rubbing one cheek against the bedspread, he mused, "I'll definitely have to go. I wonder if they're really different from the ones in Japan..."

Conrart was watching him closely, and Yuri suddenly had the feeling he could see straight through him. There was something very kind and understanding in his gaze, the same thing that had seemed so incongruous to Yuri when Conrart had been their enemy.

"I'm afraid I didn't have a chance to visit Japan while I was on Earth," Conrart said. "Is it very different from America, Your Majesty?"

"Of course!" Yuri insisted, sitting up. "Well, I guess they're alike in some ways, but they're really different too!"

Even if he was now part of the Demon Tribe, Yuri was still born Japanese. He couldn't let that kind of ignorance pass him by.

But before launching into his explanation, he paused. "And call me Yuri," he insisted.

~.~.~

"If you fall in love with an island girl, hm-hm-hm," Josak half-hummed under his breath, quietly making his way through the dark inn hallway. He had gathered quite a bit of information, some of it useful, some probably not, and now it was time to report to Gwendal, before at least getting a little shut-eye.

This conference looked like it would drag on for a while, and they would all need to be in top shape.

'I'd better remind Captain not to spend all night patrolling either,' he thought. Something about that made him pause. 'Come to think of it, I didn't notice him coming in. He can't have gotten that good at hiding. Did he actually go to bed after all...?'

It was late, certainly. The light was off in Yuri's suite, further down the hall, though Gwendal was still awake. Josak continued to faintly puzzle over it as he stepped up to Gwendal's door and lifted his hand to knock.

But something made him hesitate and look down the dark hallway again. There was nothing in sight, but rather, a faint noxious odor...

Without warning, the suite exploded.

The entire wing it had occupied was abruptly engulfed in flames. The outer wall was completely destroyed. The windows of the adjacent rooms shattered, and the building shook under the force of the bomb.

The explosion had sent Josak flying, pieces of shrapnel cutting into his left side as his right bruised from the impact with the floor. His head rang, his vision and equilibrium temporarily ruined.

He was vaguely aware of Gwendal bursting out of his room, taking measure of the situation quickly and saying something. The words were lost in the noise clogging Josak's ears, but he thought there was something far too urgent about his tone.

Smoke was beginning to clog up the hallway as fire ate away at the walls. As Josak blinked furiously, his vision cleared a little, enough for him to realize something was wrong. Instead of backing away, Gwendal seemed to be headed straight into the flames.

"...al! Gwendal!"

Finally, his hearing had recovered enough for him to distinguish another voice calling to his leader. Conrart was quickly coming down the hall, his sword held in his hand, though still sheathed. Hadn't Josak just been thinking about him? What had it been?

Trailing behind Conrart was a slighter figure in a loose robe. The boy and Josak blinked at each other before Yuri hurried to kneel at his side.

"Are you alright, Josak?" he was asking, carefully helping the man sit up.

"'M fine," Josak mumbled thickly, grimacing and shaking his head to clear away the noise and confusion.

"Your Majesty," Gwendal breathed, sounding more relieved than Josak could remember hearing. "Thank the Great One... I had thought..."

Yuri looked up to stare at him in surprise for a moment, then his eyes widened in realization, and he glanced down the burning hall to what had once been his room.

~.~.~

((This chapter got to be too long, mostly because Belar would not shut up. I don't even know, guys. Also, your reviewing efforts were weak last chapter. But I shall give you the chance to redeem yourselves *jk*))


	29. IV-4 Echo of the misty city

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun. Season 2.

Notes: Yuri meets a beautiful princess (sort of?), and a hero, and a dragon.

~.~.~

**Part IV, Chapter 4**

_Echo of the misty city_

~.~.~

Fortunately, Josak had not been seriously injured, just a little scratched and bruised. He recovered quickly, and by the time the village people got the fire under control, he was ready to investigate the remains of the building for any clues.

In the meantime, Gwendal took it upon himself to terrify the village officials and keep an eye on the Big Cimaron soldiers who had arrived to make their own investigation. Conrart, meanwhile hovered protectively over Yuri's shoulder, as the two of them watched from the sidelines.

"We're gonna need another place to stay," Yuri said, sighing. At least he would still have something to wear, since his outfit had been taken away for laundering when his room was destroyed. The amazingly dedicated maids had recovered it from the burning building and sworn to have it ready by morning.

"We could lodge temporarily with our allies," Conrart suggested.

Yuri shook his head. "Absolutely not. What if something else happens? They could get hurt. I'm just glad Josak's going to be alright." He glanced at the inn next to theirs, still dark despite the commotion spilling over into its front yard. "That one's still empty, right? Let's just stay there tonight and work the rest out later."

By the time their group reconvened, it was nearing dawn, and Yuri's eyes burned with exhaustion as well as from the acrid smoke. He shook himself, trying to wake up, as Josak presented his findings.

"It definitely wasn't something magical or even esoteric," he said. "Just a bomb. I think I smelled it just before the explosion."

Gwendal nodded. "I didn't feel any residue either. But it must have been a very powerful explosive device, far stronger than ordinary ones."

He and Josak exchanged a look, and Yuri suddenly remembered what Murata had said in Francia. Big Cimaron was well-known for their technology.

"I did find something interesting," Josak continued. Holding out his hand, he demonstrated a scrap of light blue fabric. It was a little singed around the edges, and the metal button on it had been twisted out of shape.

"It's from a Small Cimaron uniform," Gwendal noted. Comparing it to his memories from Caloria, Yuri supposed it did match.

"Wait, I thought Small Cimaron isn't even here!" Yuri protested, then hesitated. "But Lady Flynn said that she had seen them..."

Josak nodded. "Seems she's right. I tried asking around among the staff. There's a bit of a rumor that soldiers from Small Cimaron were seen briefly yesterday - two days ago, now - before suddenly disappearing." He glanced at Gwendal and added, "They were supposed to be in this part of town, but no one is quite sure."

Gwendal sighed angrily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So either they somehow knew or made sure which building we would be staying in, or someone else planted the bomb and is framing Small Cimaron," he concluded.

"It's gonna be a fun day," Josak mused, seemingly carefree. "Feelings toward Small Cimaron are at an all-time low. Even if Belar didn't do this, he'll play it for all it's worth."

Gwendal shook his head wearily. "Regardless, we need to check this building over for any more surprises and try to get at least some sleep," he said, his eyes flicking to Yuri, who had begun to nod off.

"Leave it to me," Josak said with remarkable cheer. "But just in case, I would suggest not using any of the bedrooms."

Yuri had jerked himself awake and glanced at Josak blearily. "Are we sleeping in the tatami room like a school trip?" he wondered.

The other Demon Tribesmen didn't understand him, exchanging a quick look, before Gwendal said, "We'll stay in the downstairs meeting room."

"Hope you don't mind roughing it, Your Majesty," Josak teased.

"'S not rough," Yuri muttered. "Just lay out the futon, that's all."

"Of course," Conrart spoke up for the first time. This was something he had remembered from Yuri's long explanation about Japan. Laying a hand on Yuri's shoulder, he began to guide him away. "Let's go get the spare bedding now, okay? It should be in the storeroom."

As soon as they finished setting up, Yuri fell onto one of the pallets they hauled out of storage and sighed deeply. He had already begun to drift off into sleep when he glimpsed Gwendal's large dark figure join Conrart at his side.

"It was my failure," Conrart murmured, keeping his voice low. "I should have been keeping watch."

"Was not," Yuri grumbled into his pillow, making Conrart and Gwendal, who had assumed him to be asleep, glance at him in surprise. "'S my fault for bothering you."

Gwendal sighed. "We don't know how the device was detonated or when it was placed there. It's probably for the best that His Majesty was with you." They exchanged a look, and Conrart nodded. He would remain close to Yuri.

"Mm, wake me up when it's time to go," Yuri mumbled, finally letting himself rest.

~.~.~

"Why didn't you wake me up?!" Yuri wailed, trying to rush out of the room, only to trip on his discarded blanket.

Conrart caught him by the elbow, steadying him with a reassuring smile.

"It's quite alright, Your Majesty," he said. "Gwendal said to just let you sleep. The other delegates were quite disturbed by what happened, and the talks haven't resumed. He said there was no need for you to get up just to wait around while everyone sent messengers back and forth."

In fact, most of the other delegates were too afraid to leave their inns - an illogical reaction, since their inn was where the Demon Tribe delegation was attacked. Instead, they had sent members of their entourages or even the local staff running back and forth with angry or hysterical letters.

"Our allies stopped by this morning," Conrart added. He carefully guided Yuri to the dining room, where breakfast - now brunch - had been left out for him. "But they asked not to disturb you."

"Antoine and Mr. Heathcrife?" Yuri mused, having calmed a little at the reassurance. "That was nice of them. Maybe I should go visit them, if I've got free time."

He poked at the food for a moment, still a little confused by other world's cuisine, but hunger quickly overcame curiosity, and he began to eat with gusto.

Waiting nearby, Conrart noted, "I don't think Gwendal will approve."

Yuri shrugged, barely pausing in demolishing the meal. "He and Josak already took off to deal with stuff, right? So it's not like he can stop us." But as he said it, something occurred to him, and Yuri shot Conrad a worried look. "Oh... Am I going to get you in trouble again? We don't have to go."

Conrart smiled. "Don't worry, Your Majesty. You are the only one whose orders I follow. If it is your wish, then I will carry it out. Whether Gwendal approves or not."

Feeling a little uncomfortable with that kind of proclamation, Yuri shrugged and focused on the remains of his meal. "Well, my wish is that you call me Yuri," he muttered, taking another bite.

"Of course, Yuri," Conrart agreed, hiding his smile with an exaggerated bow.

~.~.~

As promised, after eating and retrieving his clothes, Yuri headed to the place where Heathcrife and Antoine were staying. To his surprise, not only his friends, but even the representative of Cavalcade greeted him with inquiries about his health and condolences.

"It's an outrage," Mr. Walrus Mustache, as Yuri thought of him, insisted. He had pulled off his hat and wig in a show of sincerity and now mopped off his shiny pate. "To allow this to happen, what is Big Cimaron doing? They can't even ensure security in their own territory, at their own conference."

'Unless, of course, they didn't want to secure anything,' Yuri thought, depressed. But even he knew better than to comment of Gwendal's suspicions or Josak's findings.

Instead, he said, "When do you think the talks will resume? I'm okay, so I think we should focus on the reason we're here."

"You're really fearless, Yuri," Antoine muttered, looking half-impressed, half-concerned.

"I imagine Belar will call everyone together tomorrow, to present some kind of explanation at least," Heathcrife said. "He'll be under a great deal of pressure to at least make a show of taking action."

Mr. Walrus snorted. "With anyone else, I would agree, but there's no telling with Belar. He was always problematic, but since this business with the Boxes began, he's gone completely mad. It's like he's lost all sense of reason. Really, attacking the Calorian representative like that?"

"Oh," Yuri said suddenly, as something occurred to him. "Do you know where Lady Flynn is staying? I want to talk to her."

Heathcrife and the Cavalcade representative exchanged a look Yuri couldn't read. "I believe she will be glad to hear you are well," Heathcrife finally said. "She's staying at the far edge of the village. It seems she came alone, with only the Dragon Knight."

"Dragon Knight?" Yuri repeated.

"Really? That young man with her is the Dragon Knight?" Antoine wondered, excited.

"That sounds really cool," Yuri decided.

"Doesn't it?" Antoine agreed. "I heard about him! He's supposed to be a great hero, even though he's so young. He wields a holy sword and even rides a fearsome dragon! They say he'll..." Suddenly, Antoine trailed off, glancing awkwardly at Yuri.

"What? He'll what?" Yuri demanded.

"I heard those rumors too," Conrart said, neatly drawing Yuri's attention away. "But I didn't think they were true. Dragons are proud, intelligent creatures. I doubt one would to being used as a mount. The last person to do so was our Dragon King, and if I remember correctly, he had a special ability to communicate with magical species."

"That's really, really cool," Yuri said, suitably impressed. "Now, I really want to meet him."

~.~.~

When Heathcrife said "far edge of the village," he hadn't been exaggerating. Getting directions out of the staff had proven a little difficult, since many of them still flinched away from Yuri, but eventually they found the right path. The inns clustered around the road began to thin until eventually they were walking through an empty mountain side.

Finally, they rounded another bend, and a small, slightly run-down building came into view.

"We're practically on the other side of the mountain," Yuri complained, pausing to catch his breath. From this angle, he could see the other peak, fog or perhaps stray clouds wrapping around its far side. He couldn't help but wonder, "Why is Lady Flynn staying in a place like this? What is she, a leper?"

"It does seem odd, but the staff told me she had requested lodgings far from everyone else," Conrart replied, annoyingly unaffected by their hike.

As they approached the small inn, someone stepped out to meet them. It was the young man who had accompanied Flynn to the peace conference. Looking at him now, Yuri could tell he was only a few years older than Yuri himself. However, he carried himself with the ease of someone who had spent a lifetime training to use his body. The giant sword across his back did nothing to weigh him down.

He crossed his arms as he studied the two Demon Tribesmen, the muscles of his bare arms rippling. Just looking at him made Yuri feel a little inadequate as a young man.

"Why are you here, Demon Tribe?" he asked, barely suppressed suspicion and threat in his tone.

His aggressiveness set Conrart on guard, but Yuri shouldered his way forward instead, spreading his arms and trying to smile in a disarming way. Murata always made it seem so easy.

"We're here to see Lady Flynn," he said. "I'm Yuri Shibuya, and this is Conrad. Is she in?"

Yuri's friendliness seemed to make him uneasy, and the young swordsman hesitated before answering, "I'm Alford. Alford MacKinner. What is your business with Lady Flynn?"

'It's a good thing Wolfram isn't here,' Yuri thought. 'He'd probably be raging by now.' Fortunately, Conrart was a lot calmer, even if he continued to watch Alford for the slightest sign of attack.

Before Yuri could answer, the lady herself appeared through the doorway.

"That's enough, Alford," she said, her eyes fixed steadily on Yuri. "Let them come in. I have something to say to the Demon King as well."

Ducking into the building, Yuri politely muttered, "Sorry for the intrusion." Flynn led the way into the lobby, where all four of them settled down, Yuri and Flynn on the couches, Alford and Conrart both remaining standing, behind their respective masters.

Yuri hesitated, fidgeting a little, but Flynn held up her hand to forestall anything he might have said. "Please allow me to say my piece," she began. "I meant what I said yesterday. Thank you, for closing the Box and taking it out of my country. We owe you a great debt."

"It should've never been opened in the first place," Yuri said quietly, uncomfortable with her praise and gratitude. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop it. I just hope that Caloria will be able to recover, someday."

'I'll never forget it,' Yuri thought. 'That scene...' Washing up at the destroyed port city, the ruins half-hidden by the white mist, the bell tolling in the distance, just before the earth trembled, again and again...

"I'll never forget," he repeated quietly. "Not as long as I live."

Flynn watched him with an unreadable expression. "It's not your fault," she said. "You weren't the ones who opened the Box. It was because of them, Small Cimaron." Her lovely face contorted into an expression of cold rage that sent a shiver down Yuri's spine.

Swallowing, he said, "That's what I wanted to ask you about. Small Cimaron, I mean. You said you saw them. Can you tell me where or when?"

Startled out of her furious thoughts, Flynn hesitated, glancing back at Alford. It seemed the decision would be up to him.

Alford studied Yuri for a moment before sighing. "You're not what I expected of the Demon King," he said.

"I get that a lot," Yuri replied wryly.

"But I suppose my expectations have been very wrong before," Alford continued, frowning, though it didn't appear to be directed at Yuri. He jerked his head toward the back of the building. "Come on."

Standing gracefully, Flynn followed him out onto the back porch, into the overgrown garden. Yuri hesitated, uncertain how this related to his question.

He glanced at Conrart, hoping for some clue or insight, but the soldier's expression was pensive. Noticing Yuri's attention, Conrart smiled reassuringly, but Yuri still caught the way his right hand moved to grasp at his left arm.

"It wasn't your fault either," Yuri said quietly, laying a gentle hand on his arm.

The words startled Conrart, though he regained his composure quickly. "You don't need to concern yourself with me, Your Majesty," he said, smiling again.

Somehow, it annoyed Yuri. 'How am I supposed to not worry?' he wondered, frustrated. 'And if I don't, who will? I can already tell you don't.'

"I'll worry if I want to," he muttered, stalking after Alford and Flynn.

The pair were waiting on the back porch, which looked out on an overgrown garden and, beyond it, the wild mountainside, dotted with clumps of trees and rocks.

"Did you see the Small Cimaron people from here?" Yuri wondered, looking around. 'It's a pretty out of the way place...'

"Not exactly," Alford said, sighing again. Turning to the garden and mountainside, he called out, "You can come out! It's okay!"

'A secret contact?' Yuri thought as a moment passed without any change. 'So they...'

But whatever he would have thought next flew from his mind, as a large shape uncoiled itself from behind a rocky slope and a thick grove of trees. Blue scales shimmered in the diffused light. Wide wings flapped tentatively, sending gusts of wind buffering Yuri's hair and clothes.

"It's a dragon," he muttered dumbly. "It's really a dragon."

The dragon lowered its blue snout to nuzzle at Alford, who patted it gently and ran a hand through its white mane. Trilling lightly at Flynn, it turned its gaze on Yuri and Conrart and made a snuffling sound.

"That's enough now," Alford chided as Yuri continued to stare, awestruck.

"It's really a dragon," Yuri repeated, apparently stuck on the notion. 'A European one,' he added to himself.

"Yes," Conrart agreed with a straight face, "a rather young one. He's a fine specimen."

"Does that mean you really are a dragon rider? The Dragon Knight?" Yuri wondered. He swelled with excitement. "That's so cool! Does he breathe fire? Does he really let you ride him?"

Alford shrugged uncomfortably. "I'd prefer if you didn't call me that. It's not a title I can bear proudly," he said, looking at the dragon with a frown. "My foolishness got this little one's mother hurt, so I took care of him while she recovered. He got rather attached and often goes looking for me..."

"Little one?" Yuri parroted, looking up at the dragon dubiously. At his full height, he would tower over the two-story inn. There didn't seem to be anything little about him.

"He was born this past spring. He was just this big back then," Alford said, making a cradling gesture with his arms. The size he implied was about the same as a cat or a small dog. Yuri stared at him in disbelief.

"That sounds about right," Conrart assured him. "Dragons grow very quickly after they hatch. But the time right after their hatching is the most vulnerable for them. In fact..." his eyes narrowed as he studied Alford, "we had an incident this year at one of the dragon preserves. An attack by poachers that led to a mother dragon rampaging through a nearby village."

Shamefully, Alford hunched under Conrart's gaze. "...Yes, that's what happened," he said, swallowing heavily. "I will make no excuses for my mistake. I had foolishly believed that dragons were just dangerous monsters and sought to gain glory by defeating one. My selfish actions led to this child being hurt. His mother went on a rampage and only stopped after I wounded her heavily." His expression darkened. "...And it was all for nothing, in the end."

"Poachers? Preserve?" Yuri whispered to Conrart.

"Dragons are an endangered species," Conrart whispered back.

Turning back to Alford, Yuri smiled reassuringly. "It's okay," he said. "You tried to make up for it, didn't you? You looked after him, and he looks like he's doing well now. What's his name?"

Alford stared at him for a moment, with a look of bemusement and surprise that was quickly becoming familiar to Yuri. "...It's Rissair," he said finally.

"Liesel," Yuri tried.

"Riseir," Alford repeated.

"Re-sell?"

"Riz-air."

"Rizu... Ree..." Groaning, Yuri gave up. "I'm gonna call him Pochi," he decided.

"Pochi?" Alford repeated, making a face. "That's so... undignified."

Yuri ignored him. "Wow, Pochi, you're amazing! You're a good boy, aren't you, Pochi?" he cooed to the dragon, reaching out and stroking his head. The newly-named Pochi snorted happily as Yuri cheerfully embraced him.

"So Pochi often escapes from the preserve and comes to visit you," Conrart mused. "And that's why you've become known as the Dragon Knight."

"Like I said, it's not a title I bear proudly," Alford replied shortly. "I would prefer if you didn't use it."

Conrart nodded, accepting Alford's request. "Then, when Pochi came here to visit you... You and Lady Gilbit saw the Small Cimaron contingent from his back," he continued his line of thought.

Amusingly, Alford blushed, glancing quickly at Flynn. "It's just... well, I..." he stammered. "I wanted to..." He glanced at Flynn again.

"He agreed to take me for a ride," Flynn said, smiling kindly at him. "I confess I was rather excited by the prospect."

"Wow, really? Riding a dragon must be so cool," Yuri marveled. Snorting, Pochi lifted his head, and Yuri, arms still wrapped around his snout, was pulled along as well, his feet dangling in the air.

"No, Pochi, put him down!" Alford scowled, before cringing as he realized that even he had ended up using the silly nickname Yuri chose.

Yuri's hold slipped, and he began to slide off Pochi's head. Rather than let him simply drop, Conrart caught him easily and lowered him to the ground.

Watching them, Flynn had to hide a giggle.

"It was amazing," she agreed. "I am very grateful for being given that experience." Her expression darkened. "But then as we were passing over the harbor, I saw the Small Cimaron ship arrive. I know they came to the island." Her fists clenched.

Yuri and Conrart exchanged a look. "This was two days ago, right? It matches up with what the staff told Josak," Conrart said. Thinking for a moment, he asked, "Did you see the ship depart?"

"...I think so," Flynn answered, a little uncertain. "Yes, it was leaving. But I'm sure I saw them drop off a group."

"I saw them too. They wore those blue uniforms," Alford agreed.

"So how were they planning to get back then?" Yuri wondered.

"They might not have wanted to linger in Big Cimaron waters," Conrart suggested, but even he appeared dubious. "But we didn't pass them on our way in. Many of the other delegates arrived on chartered vessels, but that would be strange too..."

'Something doesn't add up,' he decided.

"Well, it's not like they could have been planning to stay here," Yuri pointed out, confused.

But his words gave Conrart an idea. 'Not stay here, exactly,' he thought. 'A one-way trip on a mission with no return. So was the assassination attempt by Small Cimaron after all? But why? To what end?'

~.~.~

((Nngh, to be honest, I'm not particularly happy with how this entire Part goes. I had some ideas, but I feel like they didn't really carry over properly.

((In any case, here's more on Flynn and Alford in my continuing attempts to explain what happened to all the adventures Yuri didn't get to go on. Just so you know, Yuri failing to pronounce Pochi's "real" name is due to my inability to find any semi-official spelling. And of course, a continuing joke at Japanese people's expense about the L/R issue.))


	30. IV-5 Echo of the misty city II

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun. Season 2.

Notes: A familiar but unwelcome face returns. Yuri and Flynn talk about justice.

~.~.~

**Part IV, Chapter 5**

_Echo of the misty city II_

~.~.~

"We should head back and tell Gwendal what we learned," Conrart told Yuri, getting a distracted nod in return.

Truthfully, Yuri couldn't quite pull himself away from Pochi. This was a real, live dragon, after all. Pochi himself preened under the attention, tilting his great head to let Yuri better scratch under his chin and comb his hands through the white mane.

Smiling, Conrart shook his head and decided to let the two of them be for a little while longer. Yuri's simple, sincere fascination was somehow endearing.

"He's going to get spoiled with all this attention," Alford huffed.

"You sounds like a fussing parent," Flynn couldn't help teasing him a little. Her remark made Alford flush, the deep red visible even through his tan.

Yuri ignored the by-play in favor of hugging Pochi again. "Who's a good boy? You're a good boy, Pochi!" Yuri insisted, rubbing his cheek against the warm, smooth scales. "I know! I'll come see you at the preserve. How about that? Will you introduce me to your mom?"

Pochi growled happily, sticking out his tongue to lick Yuri when the boy finally let go. It was actually kind of gross, but Yuri just laughed at the slightly rough, scrubbing texture against his cheek.

He looked up in surprise as Pochi suddenly froze. The dragon smoothly lifted his head, turning his face toward the mountain slope. A low growl rumbled in his throat.

"What is it?" Yuri inquired softly.

"He hears something," Alford interpreted, his expression wary and grim. His hand reflexively reached over his shoulder to his sword. "There's someone nearby. ...They smell like an enemy."

"Why would anybody be out here? ...Let's check it out," Yuri decided, taking a step forward before Conrart held him back.

"It might be dangerous, Your Majesty," he cautioned.

"Yeah, Flynn and Alford might be in danger," Yuri agreed, looking at Conrart stubbornly. "We have to make sure they'll be okay."

Flynn shook her head. "No, don't place yourself in danger on my account," she said. "I trust Alford to protect me, and you've already been targeted once on this island." Blushing faintly at her faith in him, Alford nodded.

"That just means they might be after me," Yuri countered. "You might be in danger in the first place because of me. Alford can stay with you, and Conrad and I will check it out."

Conrart's eyes flickered to Alford, taking his measure again. "I think it would be better if you remained here as well, Your Majesty," he said, nodding to the younger swordsman.

"Not a chance," Yuri told him stubbornly. Watching Conrart consider the situation, Yuri added in an annoyingly helpful tone, "And just so you know, if you try to leave me behind, I'll sneak off by myself."

Although Conrart's expression remained carefully bland, Yuri could tell he wasn't enjoying his introduction to the Yuri Shibuya method - suddenly, he was beginning to understand Wolfram and Murata's frustration.

He felt caught between his desire to keep Yuri away from danger and to keep Yuri close, since danger seemed to inevitably find him anyway. There would be no changing Yuri's mind - that stubbornness was both his strength and his weakness - so wouldn't it be better for Conrart to be by Yuri's side?

"...Stay close. If there is a fight, let me handle it," Conrart instructed finally.

"Don't worry," Yuri beamed. "I won't try to fight. I probably wouldn't be any help at all."

Somehow, that didn't seem to make Conrart feel any better.

"They're further down the mountain, between the two peaks," Alford relayed, taking some hidden cue from Pochi. "There's a stream down there. They're probably using the trees there for cover."

Leaving Alfred and Flynn behind, tense and waiting, while Pochi hid once more, Yuri and Conrart set off. A trail had once led down the slope, from the inn to the stream Alford had mentioned, but it had long since been abandoned, now little more than a faint suggestion. The entire mountainside appeared desolate, and they saw no sign of human presence.

Trees and bushes appeared as they neared the stream, first in clumps, and finally densely enough to provide cover. As they stepped into the shade of the treeline, Conrart paused, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes, there's definitely someone here," he said quietly to Yuri. "Stay on your guard."

Reaching out, Yuri laid one hand gently against the middle of Conrart's back. "I'm going to use an illusion to cover us a little," he remembered to whisper at the last moment.

Unfortunately, he didn't remember that no one had quite gotten around to explaining to Conrart how his illusion magic worked.

Like Wolfram, Conrart jumped as the concealment illusion washed over him. The way his senses were obscured clearly made him uneasy, and he shot a startled look over his shoulder at Yuri.

"Oops," Yuri muttered. "I guess you haven't had a chance to adjust. You'll become able to see through it in just a bit. This illusion should keep us pretty well hidden as long as we don't make any sudden moves or noises. You could say it's like a 'don't notice me' charm."

"...I see," Conrart finally said, mostly because there was no time to inquire about Yuri's exact abilities. It was too easy to just assume that Yuri was an ordinary boy, who had only lived a peaceful life - he didn't have even Wolfram's bearing of military training if not experience. But that didn't mean Yuri had no useful skills, especially given the show he had put on in Francia... and when arriving in at Covenant Castle.

He should have thought to ask, Conrart berated himself silently. He should have realized how much there was that he didn't know about Yuri.

Both of them instantly fell silent as the sound of voices reached them. Someone was coming toward them, moving through the underbrush with more speed than stealth.

"-find him quickly!" one of the approaching men barked.

Yuri and Conrart had moved to hide behind a cluster of thick bushes, and peering around it carefully, they could see a trio of Big Cimaron soldiers advancing quickly, their swords drawn and ready.

"He can't have gotten far," another soldier reasoned. "He only managed to escape because of the commotion that demon scum caused."

"He got this far," the third said grimly. "We can't let him reach the village. King Belar will not forgive that kind of failure."

The two Demon Tribesmen exchanged a look. The soldiers' conversation raised many questions, to which they could only guess the answers. 'We have to find whoever it is first,' Yuri thought. 'This could be our big chance to find out what's going on!'

The trio of soldiers passed by their hiding place without a second glance and continued to advance. The leader's gaze was darting along the ground, and Yuri realized suddenly that he was following some kind of trail.

They had to do something. Yuri took an unthinking step forward, but Conrart held him back, shaking his head. His eyes narrowed as he followed the same signs of passage through the underbrush and noticed something the soldiers had missed in their haste.

A trap.

The next step the soldiers took was their last. The three of them had drawn together to pass between two clusters of trees, and as the leader stepped forward, his foot caught a hidden wire stretched across their path.

The trap was sprung. Loops hidden in the dirt coiled around the soldiers' feet, and a web of glistening wires burst from the brush around them. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the soldiers were completely restrained, crashing into each other as the net pulled tightly around all three. They crumpled to the ground, groaning.

Dark laughter echoed through the forest in the aftermath.

Slowly, a ragged figure staggered into view, emerging from its hiding place nearby. Yuri's brow furrowed as he stared at the man with a niggling sense of familiarity. His eyes widened in realization.

"It's him! The mullet guy from Caloria!" Yuri hissed, clutching at Conrart's jacket.

"A Small Cimaron soldier?" Conrart muttered, his eyes narrowing.

It was, indeed, Maxine. But his appearance was vastly different than it had been when Yuri saw him in Caloria, now months ago. The ponytail Yuri most clearly remembered about him had been harshly abbreviated, not just a ragged shadow of its former length. His clothes were no longer an immaculate uniform, but simply rags, through which numerous wounds could be seen.

Staggering up to the three men he had captured, Maxine laughed again, a cruel, mad cackling. When one of the soldiers groaned, beginning to come to, Maxine sneered and casually kicked him the face.

"You trash," he growled, expression suddenly becoming coldly hateful. "Trash, trash, trash!" Each exclamation was punctuated with another kick. His shoulders shook, and he began to laugh crazedly again.

The scene was chilling to Yuri. Even Caloria, there had been a touch of madness behind Maxine's arrogance, but this wreck of a man appeared to be simply cracking apart. Swallowing, Yuri hesitated.

Conrart didn't. He dashed forward, taking Maxine completely in surprise, and slammed the hilt of his sword into the back of the other man's head before Maxine had even had a chance to turn to face him. Like a true ambush, the result was almost anti-climactic, as Maxine simply crumpled, unconscious.

Grabbing him by the back of his ragged shirt, Conrart easily hauled Maxine over his shoulder and said, "We should leave quickly, Your Majesty, before more Big Cimaron soldiers arrive. We can question him at our leisure in a safer location."

"R-right," Yuri agreed quickly, sparing only a glance at the three unconscious soldiers before hurrying after Conrart as the man set out back the way they had come.

~.~.~

It wasn't until they had climbed the slope back to the overgrown garden, the back porch of the inn drawing into view, that Yuri realized he had once again failed to consider the reactions of the people around him.

Alford had sent Pochi off to hide, but the hero himself was waiting for them in the garden, while Flynn lingered just inside the inn, ready to run or hide if necessary.

Relief showed on her face as she saw them, before she noticed the figure draped over Conrart's shoulder.

"Big Cimaron soldiers are canvassing the area," Conrart explained to Alford. "They are looking for this man, a Small Cimaron soldier, I believe. Apparently, he was held prisoner. We're going to ask him some questions about what has been going on here."

He dropped Maxine's body to the ground without much care. Beginning to come around, Maxine groaned and rolled over.

Flynn drew a sharp breath.

"I'll get some rope," Alford said. He turned to head into the inn, only to stop abruptly as he saw the look on Flynn's face.

Shock was quickly being subsumed by deep, cold rage. Hatred twisted Flynn's lovely, gentle features into something forbidding.

"Him... It's him..." she muttered, shaking with the force of the dark emotions welling up inside. "It's him... He's the one who destroyed Caloria! The one who opened the Box!"

Alford's eyes widened, his hand reflexively reaching for his sword. Even Conrart appeared momentarily stunned by the revelation.

Flynn laughed, a demented echo of Maxine's own mad cackling in the woods. "This must be fate," she mused, taking a step toward him. "This is what I hoped for from the start, that you would be here. The chance to bring justice upon you..."

"This man... opened the Box in Caloria?" Alford repeated, his worried gaze shifting into something cold and hard as it moved from Flynn to Maxine.

"That's right. I'll never forget his face," Flynn stated, staring down at Maxine. He was slowly coming to, his narrow eyes slitting open as he looked up at her. "It's because of him that Caloria was ruined. He knew what the cost might be, but he carried through with it, to punish us! Because we refused to support Small Cimaron's warmongering any longer!"

Her voice had risen, the pain in it spurring Alford into action. He pulled out his greatsword in a single smooth stroke and pointed toward Maxine.

"Is this true?!" he demanded.

The blade gleamed, even in the overcast afternoon light. But Maxine seemed unafraid as he looked up at it. He sat up slowly, a faint smirk twisting his lips.

"That's right, I opened the Box," he said, with no shame or regret. Maxine sneered as Alford shook with anger. "You should be honored! It would have been the beginning of a glorious new age for Small Cimaron!" His eyes slid to Yuri, narrowing with hatred. "If it wasn't for you..."

Conrart shifted to put himself between them, hand on his sword. Having such raw spite directed at him caught Yuri off guard, and he flustered, uncertain.

"Glorious age?! Honored?! How dare you!?" Flynn shouted. She stalked toward Maxine, her hands reaching as if to wrap around his throat.

Alford held her back.

"Lady Flynn," he said, his voice halting, "let me act as your sword, in this. I will enact his punishment."

Letting out a shaky breath, Flynn nodded. "Yes," she murmured. "There can be only one suitable penalty. For Caloria, for my people..."

Alford raised his sword.

"Stop!"

Darting past Conrart, Yuri stood in Alford's way.

"What are you doing?" Alford demanded. "Stand aside!"

"You can't do this!" Yuri insisted. "I won't let you just kill him like that!"

Alford seemed startled by Yuri's protests, his brow furrowing in confusion, but Flynn gestured furiously. "You'd spare his life?! After what he did?" she yelled. "You... You can't begin to understand the magnitude of his crime! He doesn't even show a shred of remorse..."

That was true. This wasn't like Hube's situation - Hube had honestly repented and spent twenty years trying to find a way to atone. Punishing him further would have been simple cruelty, benefiting no one.

"Is it because you want to questions him?" Alford suggested. He glanced at Flynn. "If that is the case, then perhaps..."

"That's not it!" Yuri exclaimed. "That's got nothing to do with it! It's true that what he did was wrong, and that he should be punished... But you can't just decide to kill him without a trial or anything!"

"A trial?" Flynn repeated. "By whom? Under whose authority? Do you really think Small Cimaron would allow such a thing?" Her eyes narrowed. "Or... is that why he was sent here? Is this Small Cimaron's way of dealing with what they did?"

Yuri's eyes widened as he remembered his earlier observation - the Small Cimaron ship had departed, leaving those sent to Van Da Via without a way back. Could they have really been abandoned here?

"It's barely a fraction of what we are owed, but I'll gladly accept this payment," Flynn continued. "As Caloria's ruler, I judge his crimes deserving of only one possible punishment - death."

"Wait!" Yuri tried again, spreading his arms wide. "Lady Flynn, Alford! This isn't the way to do things!"

Caught up in the debate, all eyes had turned to him. Trying to buy just a little more time, Yuri had moved to stand between Caloria's delegation and what remained of the Small Cimaron contingent, but Maxine was not a man to show your back to.

Without warning, he sprang at Yuri, bringing the boy down in a tangle of limbs. With the enemy so close to Yuri, Conrart hesitated for a moment. In the next instance, Maxine had recovered, rising to his feet and hauling Yuri up with him. The same thin wire he had used for his earlier trap was wound tightly around Yuri's neck, trapping and choking him.

Maxine laughed, looking around at the three furious faces of his enemies. "So naive! You brat, I have you right where I want you now," he chuckled.

"Let him go," Conrart ordered, his sword already drawn in his hand.

"Careful now," Maxine taunted, pulling the garrote around Yuri's neck a little tighter.

"You won't get away with this!" Alford hissed, shaking with anger.

"Heh," Maxine chuckled, his expression almost serene. "It doesn't matter. You're right. We were never meant to come back from this last mission. King Saralegui does not abide by failure. Because of this brat, I was humiliated! If not for him, I could have still retrieved the Box, but instead..." He gritted his teeth, his hands trembling.

Glancing at Flynn, he sneered. "But you're wrong too. I wasn't sent as some token to appease your pathetic little land. My mission was far more meaningful, something to advance Small Cimaron's standing..." His eyes closed for a moment in reverent contemplation. "It might have been under the guise of making reparations and cooperating with the worthless little lands gathered here... But that was simply the pretext for using this perfect opportunity... to get rid of Small Cimaron's greatest foe..."

"So you were sent to assassinate Belar," Conrart concluded. "But he saw through your plan and took you prisoner instead."

"He didn't realize anything!" Maxine raged. "He knew nothing! And he still dared to attack Small Cimaron's representatives! That worthless trash!"

'Even though you weren't really representing Small Cimaron,' Conrart thought. 'By casting him out, Small Cimaron is able to deny all ties and responsibility for his actions. And getting rid of Big Cimaron's king would be a huge boon to them.'

"But," Maxine continued, calming himself again, "I suppose King Saralegui will accept the Demon King's head instead. With this, my standing is restored..."

The Demon King objected - by firmly kicking back, the way Miko Shibuya had learned at a self-defense seminar and shared with her son. He scored a direct hit between Maxine's legs, causing the man to fold over with a groan.

This time, Conrart didn't hesitate. He dashed forward and swung his sword neatly through the space between Yuri and Maxine, cutting apart the wire that had held Yuri prisoner. Taking the opportunity, Yuri scrambled away. As he collapsed to the ground next to Flynn and Alford, he coughed harshly, one hand clutching at his cut up throat.

"W-Wait!" Yuri barely managed to force out, holding a hand out to stop Conrart, who had knocked Maxine down with a heavy blow and raised his sword again, with deadly intent.

The effort it took for Conrart to obey that command was plainly visible as he strained to hold himself back from simply cutting Maxine down. But he could feel Yuri's eyes on him, and that was something he didn't want Yuri to bear witness to.

"He tried to kill you, Your Majesty," Conrart said lowly, keeping his gaze on Maxine's prone form. No matter what, he would not let the man near Yuri again. "Furthermore, he has already admitted to coming here as an assassin."

Yuri coughed again, swallowing heavily before speaking. "That doesn't matter! We don't have the right to just decide to kill him like this. We have to do this right," Yuri insisted.

"Your Majesty, execution is a common practice, even here on this island," Conrart tried to reason.

Shaking his head, Yuri said, "...Even if that the case... it's not up to us to just decide that."

"...Then who should decide?" Flynn asked quietly. She was watching Yuri with an unreadable look in her eyes. "Who has that right, if not you, whom he tried to kill, if not my people, who lost so much because of his actions?"

"It's because we're so close to it that we can't decide," Yuri said. "If we decided his punishment, would it really be justice or just revenge? I know..." Yuri swallowed heavily. "I know you're hurt and angry. I know you want to see him d-dead for that. But... Lady Flynn, I don't think that would make anything better. None of your grief or pain would disappear from that. It won't benefit anyone. And I don't want you to carry that weight."

Alford glanced at Flynn, hearing something in Yuri's words that made him hesitate. But as Yuri met Flynn's eyes evenly, he knew that just words wouldn't be enough to change her heart.

Closing his eyes, Yuri slowly breathed out. What could he do? Even if Yuri forced her to leave Maxine alive now, her feelings wouldn't change at all.

'I don't want people to go along with my wishes just because I'm the Demon King,' he thought, the same way he had the night before his coronation. 'But I guess in the end, they have to make their own choices...'

It was inevitable that those choices would not always be the ones he would like.

'All I can do it believe in them,' Yuri mused, smiling faintly. 'That's right. I'll believe in them.'

"Lady Flynn, Alford," Yuri spoke up, opening his eyes to meet Flynn's gaze again, "I have a favor to ask you. Please take this man to the other delegates and tell everyone what we found out. They should know what Small Cimaron and Big Cimaron have been doing."

Flynn's brow furrowed as she stared at him in surprise, while Alford nodded, startled. "Yes, of course," he said. "But... what about you?"

"When Big Cimaron finds out we know this much, they'll definitely cover everything up, right?" Yuri said, smiling. "So we're going to have to find out what they've been doing before that can happen. He escaped from somewhere, and it seems like there's someone else who is being held there too. We have to find that place."

"Your Majesty, that's..." Conrart tried, before giving up. With just a glance, he could see that Yuri had already made up his mind.

"Don't worry, sneaking around is something I'm pretty good at," Yuri assured him. "I've gotten a lot of practice, actually."

"Do you understand what you're suggesting?" Flynn asked, staring at him with confusion and some emotion Yuri couldn't read. She smiled humorlessly. "It's a long way down to the village. He might try to attack us or escape. We could have an accident. I could..."

"I know," Yuri interrupted. He smiled at her, trying to convey the decision he had come to. "But it's alright. I know you're a good person, Flynn. Alford too. I believe you'll make the right decision... for yourself. That's what really matters. Whatever choice you make, I'll stand by you."

Hesitating for just a moment, Alford laid a hand on Flynn's shoulder. When she glanced at him, he offered her a smile. Something about that warm support seemed almost too much for Flynn, and her eyes glistened with tears as she ducked her head.

Turning to Yuri, Alford said, "There isn't really much on the island except the port town and the village. The only other places we saw from the sky were a couple of hot spring inns on the other mountain. That's where you should check first."

Lifting his face to the sky, he whistled quietly. Moments later, Pochi's blue bulk slithered closer from his hiding place further up the mountain.

Alford patted him on the snout, leaning close to communicate something.

"He'll take you to the other mountain," Alford said, turning to them again. "Speed's of essence, right? So there's no time to be climbing up and down. He can let you off just out of sight."

"Thank you, Alford," Yuri said, smiling sincerely. "And you too, Pochi. Will you be okay without him?"

Alford smiled faintly, glancing at Flynn, who stood lost in her own thoughts. "We'll be okay," he said. "One way or another."

There wasn't anything to but believe in his words.

~.~.~

((Once again, I stupidly backed myself into a corner, narratively-speaking. There's not much that can be done about Maxine. The anime just sort of wrote him off after a while, but... here, he's an unrepentant mass-murderer. What can you do with someone like that? It's all well and good to forgive, but that doesn't mean crimes should go unpunished. What is justice, really?

((I decided to settle for a compromise. I can't imagine Maxine not being executed... so all that can be done is give him a proper trial. Well, he'll probably confess anyway.

((It's not as if there is no killing ever in KKM. I'm watching season 3 right now, and plenty of the White Crows get killed, by Yuri's party no less, and it's not as if Yuri vocally opposes that. No, I don't think Conrart hit them all "with the flat of his sword" or whatever. There are limits. I like to think that Yuri's got some measure of pragmatism going, if a small and situational one.))

Special thanks to _issm_, for all those reviews!


	31. IV-6 As you are

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun. Season 2.

Notes: Yuri acquires a sword.

~.~.~

**Part IV, Chapter 6**

_As you are_

~.~.~

Flying on dragonback was colder than Yuri had expected, but the wind nipping at his cheeks and nose did little to cool his excitement.

"Wow, what a view!" Yuri marveled. Before he could lean over too far, peering down at the island below them, Conrart carefully pulled him back onto the center of Pochi's neck.

Conrart's own eyes narrowed as he studied the far side of Van Da Via's smaller peak. He could just make out the narrow mountain path that led to the summit and the handful of hot spring inns just off that road. There seemed to be no other signs of human presence.

But there was something definitely strange about the view before them.

"Do you see it, Your Majesty?" Conrart asked, leaning in closer to let Yuri hear him. "That fog bank..."

Following Conrart's gaze, Yuri looked thoughtfully at the white haze that hung close to the summit of the smaller peak. He had glimpsed the edges of it from near Flynn's inn, but now he realized that something wasn't quite right about it.

"It's too high up to be fog, and it's all wrong for that," he mused. "But it's too low to be a cloud. Is it smoke? From the volcano?"

"We'll have to ask," Conrart decided.

Yuri nodded. "Right. Pochi," he called out to the dragon, stroking his neck, "can you take us down among the trees? Somewhere just off the road, okay?"

The dragon rumbled in agreement and wheeled around in a tight spiral, dropping altitude quickly. Yuri just hoped his illusion helped to conceal Pochi a little and let them keep an element of surprise. 'With all this practice, I'm probably getting pretty good at concealing stuff,' he thought wryly.

"Thanks," Yuri told Pochi, hugging him again as the two Demon Tribesmen dismounted. "You were amazing. Wait for us here, okay?"

They had wanted to approach quietly, without making a scene, but Yuri quickly came to second-guess that decision.

"Is this... really a... road?" he wondered, breathing heavily. The so-called road was almost absurdly steep, and Yuri felt like he should perhaps be climbing it on all fours instead of trying to walk.

He could only be glad they had landed most of the way up. Just the thought of climbing this thing from the bottom made him want to pass out.

"It's just a little further, Your Majesty," Conrart reassured him. He appeared annoyingly unbothered by the exercise, as if it had been just a leisurely stroll.

"Nngh," Yuri groaned, gripping the back of Conrart's jacket to steady himself as they crested yet another slope. He squinted, unable to believe his eyes. "Is that... a tea house?"

It, like much of Van Da Via, looked appeared bizarrely Japanese in construction, complete with a paper umbrella in front of the entrance and even a _noren_ slitted cloth hanging in doorway.

Dropping on the bench out front, Yuri groaned again and called out almost deliriously, "Dango and tea, please."

"R-right away!" a surprised voice called from the tea house. A young woman in a waitress's uniform bustled out, a tray of biscuits and black tea in her hands. She peered at the two guests with interest.

Fortunately, Yuri had taken off his black jacket a while back and thrown an arm over his head, hiding his black hair long enough for him to remember to cover it with an illusion. Not to mention that the young waitress was far more interested in Conrart, who smiled charmingly at her.

Sitting up, now brown-haired and brown-eyed, Yuri nibbled on one of the cookies half-heartedly.

"Um, excuse me, sirs," the proprietress began, "but are you by chance with one of the foreign delegations?"

"Hm? Why do you ask?" Conrart sidestepped the question, smiling pleasantly at her.

'Wow, look at him work,' Yuri thought sullenly, watching Conrart with all the ill will of envy and exhaustion. 'What a lady-killer...'

The young woman flustered, fiddling with her tray before regaining her train of thought. "It's just that... I don't think you should go any further," she ventured. "You might get in trouble with the army."

'Big Cimaron's army?' Yuri frowned, staring into his tea cup.

Conrart's expression was politely curious. "Oh? We didn't realize there was anything like that here."

"I know! It's so strange!" the young woman agreed, becoming animated at the chance to gossip. "The spring at the top of the mountain has been closed off for years! But for some reason, the army suddenly took an interest in it. They even took some men I'm sure are prisoners up there! I thought it might be because of what happened at the end of the Fire Festival, but... that last man was definitely something else..."

"Why would they take prisoners up there?" Conrart wondered.

"You know, because..." The proprietress glanced around warily. "It's been cursed since a red light fell into it from the sky sixteen years ago. No one has been able to enter it since then. Their bodies would get numb, and burns would appear. Sometimes their hearts even stopped!"

"Sounds like a very dangerous magic," Conrart agreed, nodding.

'Uwaah,' Yuri thought, hiding his expression behind his teacup, 'look at those amazing listening skills. I wonder if he got them practicing interrogation or flirting.'

"It's terrible!" the young woman said. "I thought the army would get rid of it, but they just made it worse! They must have tried to use explosives - we felt the blast, almost thought it was an earthquake - but then the spring started boiling, like it did sixteen years ago."

Conrart and Yuri exchanged a look. Their next destination was clear.

They waited until the young woman had headed back inside before setting out again, to let her think they had simply turned back.

"Should I carry you, Your Majesty?" Conrart asked as Yuri groaned against the renewed exertion. He appeared entirely serious, but Yuri felt distinctly like he was being teased.

"I don't even let my brother carry me anymore," he grumbled. "I can walk on my own."

He tried to stalk off, only to fail miserably. If anything, the path had become even steeper, but it wasn't long before they reached the edge of the mysterious fog bank.

It was warm, like the steam in a bathhouse, making Yuri wrinkle his nose. It felt a little weird when it came in contact with his magic too. 'Well, I suppose it'll be good cover. We better be careful not to get separated,' he thought, reaching out to lay his hand on Conrart's back, oddly rigid in front of him.

Conrart made a strange sound at the contact, and Yuri quickly pulled away.

"What? What happened?" he whispered urgently.

"Ah, it's..." Conrart trailed off uncharacteristically. "Pardon me, but could you touch me again, Your Majesty?"

The request was so strange that Yuri couldn't help but put his hand on Conrart's shoulder in concern. At the first press of his fingers, Conrart sighed a little.

"It's strange," Conrart mused. "When I'm in contact with you, the sensation fades."

"What sensation?" Yuri wondered, careful to keep his hand on Conrart's shoulder.

The man glanced at him for a moment, apparently making some connection in his mind. "I see. You can't feel it. There is a faint burning sensation from the fog. It's probably the same thing that woman mentioned, but diffused."

'And you weren't going to say anything about it?' Yuri thought, frowning.

"I suspected that might be the case," Conrart continued. "Most likely, it's because Your Majesty's own magic is countering the effects of the spring's magic."

"Fine," Yuri sighed. "Just stay close to me then." Keeping in contact with Conrad, he slid his hand down the man's back to grasp at his belt, the best option he could think of.

The fog had hidden the exact layout of the upper levels of the path, so it was with some surprise that Yuri realized that they had been almost to the spring. Only a few steps further, they crested the final slope and stepped out onto what appeared to be a plateau. The mist had curled down over its edges, seemingly growing thicker as they continued on.

"Doesn't it seem too quiet?" Yuri whispered. "Why aren't there any soldiers here?"

"They probably don't expect anyone to make it this far," Conrart replied lowly, his eyes sharp as he peered into the white mists. "We must have flown over their outside perimeter." He frowned, thinking. "They might have also sent most of their soldiers to search for their escapee. I doubt they could have brought a large garrison here, so their manpower is limited."

It had been mostly luck, but they had probably chosen the best time to investigate.

The fog thickened as they moved further, to the point where visibility was almost zero. When Conrart stopped abruptly, Yuri all but ran into him in surprise.

"What's up?" Yuri wondered, peeking around the man's wide form. His eyes widened as he saw the reason Conrart had stopped - the ground suddenly gave way in front of them, leaving only a deepening pit.

Yuri frown, staring at the ravine. It looked strange to him, almost... "This is not a natural formation," Conrart confirmed, as if reading Yuri's mind. "Most likely, it was made by those explosions she mentioned."

"What are they trying to do?" Yuri couldn't help but wonder.

"The source of the spring's curse," Conrart said. "The red light that fell here sixteen years ago. It must be an artifact of great power, if it's causing something like this passively, just by its very presence."

'Well, it's better than a Box, but I don't like the idea of Belar having something like this,' Yuri thought. 'I guess there's no helping it...'

Shifting around carefully, he slipped his hand into Conrart's and moved to take the lead. He took the first step down into the crater and tugged at Conrart to follow.

"Come on," Yuri said, glancing back. "It'll be okay. Just stay with me, and I'll protect you."

He squeezed Conrart's hand, meaning against the magic of the spring's curse, and offered Conrart a confident smile. But Conrart gazed back at him with a strange expression that made something in Yuri's stomach turn.

"I'm counting on you to pull me out, if this goes belly up - or if I do," Yuri teased awkwardly, trying to lighten the suddenly heavy atmosphere.

Finally, Conrart smiled, though there was something rueful about it. "Of course, Your Majesty," he said, following Yuri down into the crater. "Then, I will guard your back."

"Sounds good," Yuri agreed.

In the thickening fog, he barely noticed as he stepped into a shallow pool of water, until Conrart suddenly pulled him back.

"What is it?" Yuri wondered.

"Your Majesty, the water is boiling," Conrart said quietly, with a forced sort of calm.

Glancing down, Yuri blinked. "Huh, you're right," he noted and bent down to stick his hand in. Conrart dragged him back again, but Yuri just studied his hand with interest.

"It's just warm," he informed him companion. "There's a strong... current, I guess, but it's pretty nice. Like a jacuzzi. Come on."

Conrart hesitated as Yuri marched onward, resisting for a moment before Yuri dragged him in. With each step, the water climbed higher, eventually reaching their calves, but that seemed to be the limit.

The pool they waded through was shallow, but large. Through the fog, it took Yuri a while to realize that they were making their way into a fissure carved out of the mountain side.

"The hot spring must have been in a cave," Yuri mused. He could just make out a few markings on what used to be the cavern walls. "I guess Big Cimaron excavated it with explosives."

"They must have needed some very powerful bombs for that," Conrart commented, his voice so calm Yuri easily missed the implication.

'As powerful as the one we saw go off just last night,' he thought, his expression darkening. 'Everything is lining up now. Even if we can't find any conclusive evidence, this should be enough to convince the other delegates...'

It was Conrart's turn to almost run into Yuri as the boy stopped suddenly.

"Your Majesty, is something wrong?" Conrart asked, reflexively tensing in preparation.

"Doesn't this look weird to you?" Yuri asked, staring at the area in front of them.

It was strangely clear of fog, despite the thick white veils that hung all around them. Stone spires thrust up out of the bottom of the pool, jagged and uneven. For a moment, Conrart thought they might have been stalagmites, but...

"This was done with earth magic," he realized, Yuri nodding distractedly. Looking more closely, Conrart could see what had instinctively seemed strange to Yuri. "And... judging by the debris, it was done after the cave was blown open."

"That's what I thought," Yuri said. "But I didn't know that was possible with esoteric magic."

"It's not, as far as I know," Conrart said. "And Big Cimaron doesn't employ esoteric skill handlers, in any case."

They exchanged an uneasy look.

"Come on," Yuri muttered, pulling Conrart along. He slipped between two jugging crags and proceeded onward. The water was climbing higher again. Broken pieces of wood bobbed against his knees. Trapped among the spires were the remains of several boats.

There, in the earth magic's epicenter, something glimmered gold at the bottom of the pool.

'A fish...?' Yuri thought. He shook his head. 'No, that's just dumb.'

He leaned down, reaching for the mysterious object, the angle forcing Conrart to lean over him as well. His fingers slid over something smooth and polished.

No, _it_ slid under his fingers. It moved.

'Wait, what-'

"Aaaah!" Yuri screamed jerking back. He collided with Conrart, tripping the other man and sending them both tumbling into the pool.

"What happened?!" Conrart demanded, sitting up quickly and righting Yuri as well.

"It bit me!" Yuri exclaimed, half-disbelieving, half-horrified. "And it moved! It's got to be alive or-!"

A low moan rose from the water, echoing around them.

'Or maybe it's undead!' Yuri thought frantically. 'A ghost! A demon! A curse!'

"I'm cursed!" he wailed, suddenly feeling all his confidence slip away and clinging to Conrart.

A moment passed. Nothing happened. Another moment, and Yuri dared to peek back with one eye.

As if sensing his gaze, the source of the curse moaned again. In the silence that followed, Yuri thought he heard a faint scraping noise, like metal against stone.

Something glimmered in the water.

Conrart reacted almost instinctively, shoving Yuri away and drawing his sword. Metal screeched against metal as his blade locked with another, barely managing to deflect it. The sword that had shot out of the water, point first, ricocheted away and drove deep into one of the stone pillars.

Crashing into the shallow pool, Yuri sputtered for a moment before spinning around to check on Conrart. The man hadn't been injured by the strange levitating sword, but Yuri realized something a moment too late - they had separated.

Conrart groaned, gritting his teeth as the cursed water began to affect him again. He could feel the burning through his wet clothes, unbearably hot but also numbing, like some of Anissina's more malevolent experiments. He swayed, his legs suddenly about to give out.

Yuri darted forward and grasped at Conrart's arm. At the contact, the soldier drew a deep, shuddering breath.

"The effect is... much stronger here," he muttered. Yuri could feel him shake a little under his fingers.

"What just happened? Did that sword just attack you on its own?" Yuri wondered. His eyes darted nervously to where the cursed blade protruded from the rock spire, its golden hilt glimmering.

The sword moaned and shuddered.

Yuri let out a sound of fear, his hands clenching tightly around Conrart's arm.

"No..." Conrart said, watching the cursed object quiver again. "It was aiming for you."

'What did I ever do to it?!' Yuri thought frantically. A cursed, living sword was trying to kill him. It was almost too much. 'How do you even deal with something like that? Do you talk to it? Do you fight it? Does magic even work on a cursed sword? What should I do?'

His thoughts spun wildly.

Carefully, Conrart laid his free hand over Yuri's white-knuckled fingers. He offered the boy a kind smile. "It's alright, Your Majesty," he said reassuringly. There, again, was that strange emotion in his eyes. "I've got your back. And... I know you'll protect us."

Yuri blinked, somehow surprised but also steadied.

"Right," he said to himself. 'Right. I have to get it. There's no point in hesitating. I just have to try. Don't give up. It's not over yet.'

Shifting so that Conrart was free to swing his sword if necessary, Yuri took a wary step toward the quivering sword. It moaned again and wiggled harder. It sounded... almost pitiful.

"Alright, you!" Yuri shouted, trying to muster up some bravado. "You stay where you are! Don't even think about doing that flying thing again! Or biting me either! What was that, huh?!"

Surprisingly, the sword stilled, its sounds taking on a different tone. Yuri just hoped it was a good sign.

He dared to inch closer, reaching out with his free hand.

"N-now, I know some people have been bothering you, so you've been causing all this trouble to make them stay away," Yuri continued to ramble. It was, he imagined, like talking to an angry, scared animal. Right? "But aren't you sick of this place already? Why don't you come with us to the Demon Kingdom? If you like hot springs that much, we've got some really nice ones."

His fingers brushed the tip of the hilt, and it suddenly wiggled again. Yuri cringed, but nothing else happened. 'It's... moving closer to me?' Yuri thought. 'Does that mean it wants to go with me after all?'

The sword stilled as he let his hand wrap around the hilt. It felt strangely comfortable in his grip.

"There we go," Yuri told the sword. "That's better. You ready to go now?"

It moaned in response, and Yuri saw that the sound had been coming from an actual mouth - a very creepy face between the blade and the hilt. 'It's definitely cursed,' he thought, making a face.

He glanced back at Conrart, who immediately understood his intention and laid his free hand on Yuri's shoulder, letting Yuri grasp the hilt with both hands.

Grunting, Yuri pulled at the sword, but it wouldn't budge. "You're really stuck in there tight," he complained. "Can't you pull yourself out like you did before, or at least help me a little?"

The sword moaned and wiggled alarmingly in his grip.

"Nevermind, nevermind! I'll do it! Leave it to me!" Yuri yelled. 'That feels really creepy!'

He shifted his hands to get a firmer grip, grasping instead at the crossguard. With one foot on the stone pillar, he began to pull with all his might. It wasn't enough. Arms wrapped around Yuri's waist, and Conrart added his power as well, pulling at Yuri - along with the sword.

The sword's exclamations had become excited, and it seemed to be trying to do its part too.

"Come... on! Come on!" Yuri chanted. Putting his back into it, he grunted and yanked as hard as he could.

The blade finally slipped loose of the rock, and boy, man and sword went tumbling onto the water.

Coughing, Yuri surfaced and quickly pulled Conrart up as well.

"We did it!" he exclaimed, waving the sword triumphantly. It groaned, still creepy, but somehow more lively than it had been.

Experimentally, Conrart lifted his hand out of Yuri's. "It stopped," he noted, meaning the burning sensation of the water. "The curse on the spring must have been lifted."

"Thanks! Don't worry, we'll find you another nice spring in the Demon Kingdom," Yuri assured the sword, rubbing a hand along its crossguard as if he was petting a dog.

He paused in surprise, feeling something strange under his fingers. 'There's something engraved on the back,' he realized as he felt along the same area more carefully.

"'Call my name, and I will overcome all limitations,'" Yuri read slowly. "'My name is Willem Dussollier Eli D'Morgif. I will always remain a faithful servant of the Demon King and fight at his side, no matter the battlefield.'"

"Morgif? The Demon Sword?" Conrart repeated, staring at Yuri in surprise.

"Seems like it," Yuri muttered. "Wow, I could actually understand that. I guess I know the shape of letters, but not what they look like..." It must have been something the blind Julia had learned.

"Morgif is a legendary treasure of the Demon Kingdom," Conrart explained, realizing Yuri didn't know the significance of what they had found. "It was forged for the Great One and can only be used by the rightful Demon King. It was last used a thousand years ago by the 19th Demon King, Basilio von Rochefort the Cruel, and has been lost since then..."

"Wow, really?" Yuri wondered, looking down at Morgif with surprise. "Who would have thought you were so famous? You're not really much to look at. But what were you doing for all that time? I mean, you only crashed here sixteen years ago, right?"

Morgif grumbled something and made a face at Yuri, causing the boy to laugh awkwardly.

'Sixteen years...' Conrart thought, glancing at his sixteen year old king as the two of them made their way out of the spring.

Without Morgif's influence, the water had calmed and the mist was already beginning to lift.

"We'd better hurry, or someone will be sent to investigate," Conrart said. "It'll be harder to sneak out as well."

He glanced back when Yuri didn't respond. The young king was studiously focused on Morgif as he wrapped his black jacket around the sword and tied off the sleeves.

"There," he said, patting Morgif's wrapped form. "Everyone says black is a royal color for the Demon Tribe, so I guess you're looking really dashing."

Conrart waited patiently.

"I'll glad we were able to find Morgif," Yuri said, his tone a little distant. "Look at what a mess he made. It's good that we found him. After all, I'm responsible for him. Because I'm the Demon King..." He trailed off. After a moment, Yuri said quietly, "Conrart, in the spring... that was from earth magic, wasn't it? The kind that Demon Tribesmen use."

"Most likely," Conrart agreed. He could see where this was going, and the others would probably have been - would be - quite frustrated. But somehow, it just made him smile. Their king was truly unique.

Yuri nodded to himself. "We can't just leave them. That woman said a strange prisoner was brought up here, didn't she? If that's a Demon Tribesman, we have to at least check..."

"Of course," Conrart said.

Shooting him a suspicious look, Yuri said, "Aren't you going to tell me it's a bad idea? Or that I should tell Gwendal first?"

"If it is your will, then I will support you, Your Majesty," Conrart replied, repeating his earlier words.

Yuri looked away, flushing a little. "You guys are always saying that..." he muttered. "But if I'm totally wrong, you better stop me."

"Is that an order?" Conrart asked, his tone lilting.

"That's right!" Yuri told him, apparently deciding to face his teasing head-on. "And so is this: call me Yuri!"

"Of course," Conrart acquiesced, his smile fond and gentle, "Yuri."

~.~.~

((I took liberties with Morgif. Let's be honest. Yuri had to strip to get Morgif purely for humor and fanservice. Also, he never bothered taking off the necklace. Maybe the pendant itself would be immune to Morgif's acid-water, but the cord wouldn't be. So... inconsistency, yay?))

Also, I mysteriously lost a Follower. Hm, the numbers have started going down, instead of up. And there was only two reviews. I guess it was a pretty terrible chapter. Terrible, terrible.


	32. IV-7 In solitude

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun. Season 2.

Notes: Just because you leave the Demon Tribe doesn't mean the Demon Tribe leaves you. Or something. Also, Flynn gets her way.

~.~.~

**Part IV, Chapter 7**

_In solitude_

~.~.~

The thinning fog was a double-edged sword. It made finding the soldiers' camp much easier, but it also meant that Yuri and Conrart could be far more easily discovered.

"There," Conrart said quietly, pointing to several tents set up at what had been the edge of the fog bank.

The openings had been sealed tightly shut in an effort to keep out the corrosive steam the cursed spring - or rather, Morgif - had produced. But as they watched, one of the tent flaps was tentatively pushed aside, and a soldier stuck his head out.

"He's right, it's not burning any more," the soldier called back to his comrades. "What a relief..."

"Idiot! It wouldn't have stopped for no reason!" an officer yelled, pushing the soldier out and gesturing to another follow him. "Go check on it! Find out what happened!"

The two rank-and-filers exchanged a look. It was clear neither relished the idea of approaching the cursed spring.

"Now!" the officer barked. Turning away as both soldiers saluted and slunk off, past Conrart and Yuri's hiding place, he added to someone else, "And you, we're going to check on the prisoner. This might be some demon magic of his."

Yuri glanced at Conrart, who nodded. It seemed their suspicions were correct. There was someone from the Demon Tribe held prisoner, most likely brought there to try to retrieve Morgif.

The officer and his subordinate did not go far, just a tent over. Conrart and Yuri followed quietly, crouching around the corner, in the shadows between the two tents. Through the thick fabric, they could hear a guard salute and sound off inside.

"No, he hasn't done anything," the guard answered to a question they had missed. "Hasn't even moved."

The officer snorted, disbelieving and disparaging. His boots clicked against the stone as he strode deeper into the tent - toward the prisoner.

"What did you do?" he demanded. There was no answer. "Look at me, demon scum! You've caused us enough trouble already, interfering with the retrieval, letting that Small Cimaron bastard escape... betraying the king and helping your fellow demon trash escape. You should have been executed from the start."

Yuri eyes widened, and he barely managed to stifle a surprised gasp. Conrart's hand on his shoulder tightened as they both shared the same thought. There was only one person it could be.

"Heh," a familiar, deep voice chuckled, "questioning your king's orders? What's the great Cimaron army coming to?"

"Adalbert," Yuri whispered. He could feel Conrart tense behind him.

"It must have been pretty embarrassing to have two traitors in your king's inner circle, not to mention losing the Boxes to the Demon Tribe and having them escape from right under your nose..." Adalbert continued, his tone mocking.

The officer growled, and there was a sound of something being struck, making Yuri flinch. Adalbert chuckled, sounding faintly pained.

"Shut your trap, you demon," the officer spat. "The only reason you're still alive is because we had a use for you - retrieving one of your cursed weapons. Now tell me, what did you do?!"

Yuri shot Conrart a pleading look, which the man met evenly. He could tell that Yuri was barely holding himself back from charging in. Smiling faintly, Conrart placed his hand on his sword and nodded for Yuri to back away.

'There are only three of them. Maybe two more as reinforcements, but otherwise, the camp seems empty,' Conrart calculated. 'Not bad odds, even if neither Adalbert nor Yuri fight.' He just hoped Adalbert didn't fight them either.

His eyes met Yuri's for a moment. A nod, and...

His sword flew from its sheath, cleanly parting the tent wall. Conrart was charging before the soldiers inside could realize what was happening. He went for the officer first, estimating his position by his voice. Still caught frozen in shock, the man went down before he even had a chance to turn.

Knowing their priority was freeing Adalbert and escaping, Conrart spun toward the man. He looked far worse for wear, but still just as unyielding and defiant as always. He had been shackled and tied down with heavy chains to multiple stakes driven into the rock.

Conrart didn't let himself hesitate before cutting him loose, his sword slicing through the chains and manacles. Whatever his personal feelings, Yuri wanted him freed. And at the very least, Adalbert had helped them escape in Big Cimaron.

Adalbert had been caught off-guard by the sudden rescue as well, but he was a shrewd man. As his severed bonds fell, he was already stumbling to his feet, ready to fight.

Leaving only a small portion of his attention on him, Conrart turned instead to the remaining two soldiers. They had been too stunned to react in time to save their commanding officer and were only now bringing their weapons to bear.

But Conrart suspected he wouldn't be able to take them both down before they called for reinforcements.

One was already opening his mouth to yell as Conrart rushed at them. However, Yuri had not been idle either. A burst of magic hit everyone in the tent, dragging them into the familiar illusion of a flower hurricane. The two soldiers hesitated, stunned, but Conrart charged through, not letting the momentary blindness distract him.

His sword intercepted one of the soldiers, the guard, while the other scrambled away, heading for the tent entrance. He didn't get far as Conrart neatly spun around and slashed again.

In bare moments, their impromptu assault and rescue operation had ended, apparently successful.

Still they didn't have time to linger. With a firm hand on Yuri's shoulder, Conrart herded his king toward the opening he had cut in the tent wall. Glancing back, he jerked his head at Adalbert to follow. The man's eyes narrowed, but he didn't protest.

The campsite was empty, and forsaking subtlety for speed, Conrart led the way straight to the path down the mountain. They all but ran downhill, Conrart only sparing a glance to make sure Adalbert was keeping up - pale, but determined, the man doggedly followed.

Blowing past the teahouse, they were soon at the turnoff to where Pochi had remained hidden. It was only once they had plunged into the concealing forest that Conrart slowed down, letting both Yuri and Adalbert catch their breath.

Adalbert spoke first.

"Why did you do that?" he asked. "I can see you already have the sword. There was no need to help me." He scowled. "I didn't need your help."

"We couldn't just leave you!" Yuri protested, straightening though his shoulders were still heaving.

Adalbert pinned him with a piercing glare. "Why? Is it... because of Julia? Are you following her will still?" His fists clenched. Just the thought of her was painful. 'Julia... Are still trying to protect me?' he wondered.

Surprised, Yuri could only stare for a moment. Slowly, his expression hardened with something like anger. "Still?" he repeated, his lips thinning. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The same as in Big Cimaron," Adalbert snapped, refusing to even look at Yuri any longer. All the things he had seen in that memory-illusion were coming back to him - Julia, grieving, laughing, seeing her future, choosing to trust in this boy... It was too much.

"You're wrong!" Yuri shouted, startling both Adalbert and Conrart. The two men stared at him in surprise as he continued, "I was the one that chose to go back and tell you those things! Miss Julia had chosen not to tell you anything. She can't change her mind, you know!"

He looked away, shoulders shaking.

"Maybe I made a mistake," he continued, cutting across Adalbert's protest. "I understand now. She wanted you to move on, forget about her. All I ended up doing was opening old wounds." More quietly, he added, "And... she was trying to be kind to me, so that I wouldn't have to live in her shadow."

Abortively, Conrart reached for Yuri, only to hesitate.

"I was the one that decided to help you," Yuri said, his voice quiet but even. His grip on Morgif tightened, making the sword moan quietly. "It's what I decided for myself. Because you're... Even if you turned your back on the Demon Tribe, you're still one of my people! This is what I decided to do as the Demon King!"

Their gazes locked, and looking into Yuri's dark eyes, Adalbert could only think that he had not once heard Julia raise her voice.

Finally, he looked away, letting himself slump in exhaustion. "...I don't need your charity, or your protection," he said. "I hate the Demon Tribe. I'll say it now: I don't acknowledge you as any liege of mine, you brat."

Something about that made Yuri smile suddenly and chuckle.

"That's okay," Yuri said, shrugging. "I'm used to not being acknowledged."

Adalbert scowled, not entirely liking his tone. Something about it just seemed to say, 'It's just a matter of time. Just you wait.' Behind Yuri, Conrart smiled blandly, somehow still conveying the same feeling.

"Anyway, we should get going," Yuri declared, his usual spirit quickly returning. If anything, he seemed more determined than before. "You're still injured, so you shouldn't run around up and down the mountain. That's okay. We've got a ride for you!"

"What?" Adalbert wondered, staring at him.

"Isn't that right, Pochi?" Yuri continued, ignoring Adalbert.

'Pochi? What kind of name is that?' Adalbert wondered. His trained battle instincts prickled suddenly, sensing something at his back. He spun around, his gaze going up and up and up, as something massive rose suddenly out of the shrubbery.

It was big, blue and scaly. It was a dragon. It was, apparently, named Pochi.

Vaguely, Adalbert wondered if he was hallucinating.

"I've got a big favor to ask you, Pochi," Yuri continued, moving to pet the massive snout that lowered down to nuzzle at him. "Can you take this guy home? He's like you. He's been away for a while now, and I'm sure his family really misses him. So can you take him with you back to the dragon preserve? I'll tell Alford for you, okay?"

The dragon's massive, intelligent eyes studied Yuri for a long moment, before Pochi snorted and bumped Yuri playfully.

"You're so great, Pochi!" Yuri exclaimed, throwing his arms around the big blue snout. "I knew I could count on you!"

"Wait, what?" Adalbert wondered, suddenly realizing what was happening. He had unwisely, but understandably allowed himself to be swept along at Yuri's pace. "I'm not going back to the Demon Kingdom!"

"It would seem that you are," Conrart told him, looking vaguely - fakely - conciliatory. "He's right, you know. Your father has been very concerned for you."

Adalbert snarled. "Don't bring him into this! And don't think for a moment that you'll be able to force me to return!"

"Well, not me..." Conrart agreed.

"Okay, Pochi!" Yuri exclaimed behind them. He pointed at Adalbert. "Take him away!"

Pochi roared an affirmative and rushed at Adalbert. Even at his best, the man would have been hard-pressed against a dragon. In his present state, he had no chance to even put up his guard before Pochi had thrown him over one massive shoulder and spread his wings.

The dragon leapt into the air like a shot, easily taking flight despite Adalbert's protests. They were soon too far up for the man to do anything but shift to a more secure position and cling to the dragon's scaly hide. The vicious scowl he sent down to the other two went unnoticed - or perhaps ignored.

"Bye! Have a safe trip!" Yuri called out, waving energetically until Pochi disappeared from sight, his pale blue scales blending remarkably well even with the overcast sky.

Standing next to him, Conrart couldn't help but join in, though in a far more reserved manner.

Finally, Yuri sighed and let his arm drop. "I'm glad they're both off safely," he said, "but now we have no ride. We're gonna have to walk down one mountain, up another..." He sighed again.

"I could carry you," Conrart offered, smiling, "if you wish, Your Majesty."

"I can still walk on my own. I told you, I don't let even my brother do that anymore," Yuri shot back, scowling playfully. His expression shifted a little as he looked away. "And I'd prefer if you called me by my name. Did you forget what it is? Honestly, weren't you the one that suggested it in the first place?"

He didn't look or sound particularly upset, but something about the line of his shoulders made Conrart reach out to comfort him.

"Of course," he said gently, "Yuri. I won't forget. After all, we made a promise, between just the two of us."

That promise, in Francia's dungeon, when Conrart hadn't even known who Yuri really was and Yuri hadn't really known anything about Conrart, had already been fulfilled. But the fact that it had been made remained a precious memory to him.

And it seemed to mean something more to Yuri too, who smiled and ducked his head.

"W-well, let's get going!" Yuri announced suddenly, striding forward with a little too much determination. "Those mountains aren't going to climb themselves!"

As Conrart followed after him, Yuri wondered, 'I wonder if Flynn and Alford made it back already...'

~.~.~

The meeting hall had slowly filled with delegates, all nervous and uneasy as they clustered together and exchanged what scraps of news they had. Rumors and speculations had already begun flying, each more far-fetched than the last.

Smiling half-heartedly, Antoine nodded in greeting to Heathcrife, who was deep in conversation with the representatives of Cavalcade and Sondergard - probably reassuring them, by the looks of things. Lyla was a steady presence at his side as Antoine looked around in search of some clue to the reason a sudden emergency meeting had been called.

Or, some sign of Yuri, who inevitably seemed to be in the middle of things.

But the Demon King's distinctive black-black-black ensemble was missing from the press of delegates. At first, Antoine assumed he had simply not arrived yet, but in the corner of the room, he could see the tall, imposing figure of Yuri's advisor, standing next to a man with bright orange hair and noticeably commoner attire.

Lord Von Voltaire, whom Antoine had met only briefly after they fled from Big Cimaron, had a more terrifying than usual frown on his face, making Antoine hesitate for a moment. Still, there was nothing else to be done. Squaring his shoulders, the king of Francia strode toward the strangely abbreviated Demon Kingdom delegation.

"Hello!" he called out a little too forcefully, only to cower as Gwendal's dark look turned on him. "I was just, um, wondering where Yuri was," Antoine stammered. "Is he... not feeling well? He seemed alright earlier..."

"So he came to see you," Gwendal noted, looking even more annoyed.

"Well, yes," Antoine said, before realizing what his comment meant. "Oh... he's run off somewhere again, hasn't he? It's a habit of his, isn't it? Hahaha..." Somehow, Gwendal did not look amused. Quailing under his glare, Antoine offered, "He said he was going to see Lady Flynn from Caloria."

Gwendal and his best spy exchanged a look. "I haven't seen the Calorian delegation yet," Josak mentioned. "But I hear they're the ones that had everyone summoned."

Sighing, Gwendal pinched the bridge of his nose and desperately tried to stave off the building migraine.

Finally, the doors slammed open, and Belar strode in, an ugly, impatient expression on his face. His soldiers filed in after him, shutting the doors and positioning along the edges of the room, as Belar imperiously surveyed those gathered.

"Well?" he demanded. "Where is she?"

Uneasy murmurs rose across the room as the delegates glanced amongst themselves, until a clear, strong voice cut across the noise.

"I am here, King Belar," Flynn said, stepping forward as the delegates parted around her.

Alford followed after her, emerging from a back room, where they must have been waiting for everyone to arrive. His hand was on the shoulder of a tall, robed figure, firmly leading the unknown party into the meeting hall.

But there was still no sign of Yuri or Conrart.

"What is the meaning of this?" Belar asked, reining in his anger to sneer coldly.

"That is my question to you, Belar," Flynn replied just as coldly. "You had claimed that you had no knowledge of any representative of Small Cimaron arriving on this island. But that was a lie."

On cue, Alford shoved the cloaked figure forward, making him stumble and fall to his knees. The hood was yanked back to reveal the gaunt, unshaven features of Maxine.

Belar's expression was annoyed, but not surprised, as if this was only a minor inconvenience.

"This man," Flynn continued, "is Nigel Wise Maxine, one of Small Cimaron's military commanders. He was the one who brought the Box to Caloria." She forcefully stilled her trembling fists. "He was also being pursued by your soldiers, having escaped from them earlier today."

A moment of stunned silence, then the hall burst into frantic whispers. The delegates all glanced at Belar, trying to gauge his reaction and his intent.

'He had a Small Cimaron commander prisoner?' Antoine thought. 'Doesn't he care how Small Cimaron will react? More than that, if he would do something like that to Small Cimaron, he could do the same to any country's representative...'

Of course, he had already known that. Antoine shivered, remembering his own short, nerve-wrecking stay in Belar's hospitality. Then, he had been barely more than an object to bait the Demon Kingdom into Big Cimaron, but the strain of knowing his life was constantly on the line had been almost too much.

'He's mad,' Antoine thought, not for the first time. That feeling was still gut-deep and terrifying. 'He's absolutely mad...'

Belar remained unbothered by the accusation. He didn't even try to deny it.

"If you're learned that much from him, then I'm sure he has already informed you that he is not a representative of Small Cimaron," Belar noted, waving one hand dismissively. "For his failure in Caloria, he has been stripped of his rank and even citizenship. The same was true for his... comrades."

'In other words, there was no need for Belar to notify us of their presence,' Gwendal thought grimly. 'High-handed, but not technically untrue.'

"Furthermore, this man came here with the intent to assassinate me," Belar continued. "It's only natural that I should take him prisoner." He paused, looking mockingly down on Flynn. "Or... is that too merciful for your taste? I can assure you, he will pay for his crime with his life."

Flynn matched his disdainful look. "I want to see him punished for his crimes," she said, "not disappear into some Cimaron dungeon."

"Oh?" Belar drew out, smirking. "That's fine. Why don't we end his miserable existence here and now? There's nothing like a good execution to liven things up."

Surprisingly, it was Heathcrife who spoke up. "If I understand correctly, this island no longer allows public executions," he noted mildly. "I heard the laws were changed after an incident at the last Fire Festival."

"An incident?" Antoine repeated. Around him, the other delegates were doing the same.

"That's right," Josak said, a bit more loudly than necessary, his voice carrying across the hall. "They used to have a public execution on the last day of the festival. Criminals would be gathered at the coliseum and fight to the death against locals."

It was hardly a rare thing, though the thought of watching someone struggle and die turned Antoine's stomach a little.

"Then, this year, they had a kid among the criminals - part of some pirate group," Josak continued with a certain kind of relish. "And the person fighting him was a mother. Apparently, she'd just wanted to make some money to buy medicine for her sick son... so she dragged the match out too long. The guards decided to move things along, readied an arrow, and..." he demonstrated, pulling back an invisible bow, "she just suddenly jumped in front of it."

The conclusion was so sudden, Antoine flinched in surprise.

"I guess it was just an instinct, for a mother seeing a child about to be killed," Josak shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. "The whole thing turned into a spectacle, ruined everyone's day... So they made a law to prohibit public executions."

Heathcrife shot Josak a strange look. It seemed like there must have been more to the story, but Belar had clearly grown impatient.

"Van Da Via Island is a territory of Big Cimaron," Belar said dismissively. "If I order it, then an execution will be held, regardless of what their laws say."

'That's not right. Even a king can't just ignore the laws,' Antoine thought, frowning as he glanced back at Lyla. He swallowed heavily. 'Not even a king...'

"Nonetheless, this matter should not be just Big Cimaron's jurisdiction," Flynn insisted.

Belar smirked. "Eager to decide his fate yourself? Very well, feel free. I will... acknowledge your prior claim." He waved to her grandly. "Take your revenge. Just end him here."

Flynn flinched, her eyes widening as they darted to Maxine's slumped figure. The former Small Cimaron soldier sneered at her, but the fight seemed to have gone out of him. Though his narrow eyes continued to watch for any opening, he appeared to have accepted his inevitable fate.

Her expression turned hateful for a moment before Flynn pulled her gaze away from him. "No," she said sharply. "Not like this." 'Not while you watch and jeer,' she thought bitterly. 'It won't be just revenge.'

"Can't stomach it? Well, you are just a woman," Belar said with false, mocking understanding. "Why don't you have your bodyguard take him out back? He can put that fancy sword to use."

Alford glared, offended for Flynn's sake and the honor of his father's sword. But, clenching his teeth, he held himself back. Flynn had told him to let her talk, and looking at her, he could see that she didn't need to be rescued. She stood proudly, back straight, more than ready to keep fighting Belar on this battlefield of words.

"I won't be satisfied with just his death," Flynn declared, shaking her head. "I intend to get far more use out of him."

She paused taking a deep breath. Her eyes swept over the gathered delegates, representing almost every known country.

"The Boxes are a danger not just to one country, but to the entire world. The aftereffects continue to be felt across the continents," Flynn said slowly, letting every word fall heavily on her audience. "This man's actions could have destroyed not just Caloria, but the whole world, plunging us into the same darkness that threatened everything four thousand years ago."

A quiet shudder passed through all those listening, and a few of the delegates made warding signs against evil. Their records may not have been as extensive as the Demon Tribe's, but if nothing else, legends were still told of the darkness that had devoured men whole and used them as puppets against those that remained.

"But even knowing the devastation the Forbidden Boxes could unleash," Flynn continued, "he still opened them, hungering for power. A sin of this magnitude cannot be judged by any one individual or any one nation." Her eyes were sharp as she glared challengingly at Belar. "And that is why I ask the delegates to create a judicial tribunal, to reconvene in Caloria and pass judgement upon his crime."

There was absolute silence.

'...I see,' Gwendal thought, sighing quietly. 'No one will pass any judgement short of death for him. His fate is set. But this way, delegates will be forced to face the destruction in Caloria first-hand. She wants to make an impact on them, one they will not be able to deny or ignore, while simultaneously forcing them acknowledge Caloria as a free nation.' He smiled grimly, barely more than a twitch of thin lips. 'So that is how she plans to make use of him. Crude, but cunning.'

Many delegates flinched when he finally spoke, breaking the tense silence. "That is an appropriate resolution. We will send a representative," Gwendal said calmly.

Belar's eyes lingered on him with a strange expression. "Oh? Can you make that decision, Lord... Von Voltaire, wasn't it? After all, your king is somewhat... absent."

"I have no doubt that His Majesty will support this decision," Gwendal replied, meeting Belar's gaze without any apparent emotion. "Furthermore, I am acting with the power vested in me as the Demon Kingdom's representative."

Belar raised his eyebrows in a faintly doubting way, but he did not protest further. "Fine," he drawled boredly. "Do as you will. I trust that the end result will be the same."

There were more whispers, then quiet agreements.

With most of the delegates committing themselves, Belar appeared to lose what little interest he had in the proceedings. As he turned and swept out of the meeting hall, his eyes met Gwendal's again.

"Your Excellency?" Josak inquired quietly.

Gwendal nodded, knowing that his best agent was certainly following his thoughts. "There's nothing else to be done," he said. "We'll handle this now, before they get back."

Before they could depart as well, Antoine approached them, still a little nervous under Gwendal's cold expression.

"Um, I wanted to ask..." he began, looking instead to Josak.

"Don't worry, His Majesty will turn up," Josak assured him.

"Of course. Yuri is like that," Antoine agreed easily. "But that's not it. I was wondering... what happened to that mother?"

Josak stared in surprise for a moment. "I can see why you and His Majesty get along," he mused with a smile. "Things are really changing, huh? Well, the way I heard it, that mother and her son are both just fine. A wealthy visitor to the festival was moved by her plight and paid for both their treatment. And even that little pirate made it through. Hard to believe, isn't it?"

"I'm glad," Antoine said. "That they're okay, and that no one else will end up like that in future."

"It was an ancient tradition. I suppose it was past time for it to go," Josak shrugged.

Antoine looked thoughtful, glancing at his aide. "Old traditions need to be changed sometimes, don't they?" he agreed.

His hand brushed Lyla's, and their fingers gently intertwined.

~.~.~

((The last two chapter were pretty boring, so I don't blame you guys for not being excited. Then again, is this really any more interesting?))

((Interesting fact: the sequence with Adalbert was originally meant to be the opposite, Yuri worrying about being just Julia's memento, Adalbert manipulating things so Conrad would comfort Yuri about it. But somehow it ended up like this instead.))

((Also, I was originally going to include a brief showdown between Velma and Alford, but then I had to reshuffle where everyone went, so that was dropped and Adalbert's reasons for being there were also changed.))


	33. IV-8 How much further?

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun. Season 2.

Notes: It's time to say goodbye to Van Da Via, and to someone else as well.

~.~.~

**Part IV, Chapter 8**

_How much further?_

~.~.~

The shrine at the top of the Van Da Via volcano had an ancient foundation, dating back to when the first settlements were founded on the island. Through luck and what the locals believed to be divine intervention, it had survived several eruptions despite leading to an active lava pool.

Every year, sacrifices would be offered to the volcano, thrown into that lava pool by the priests, the leaders and any notable visitors. A few centuries back, those sacrifices had included virgin maidens, but that tradition had also been abolished. Now, they were more commonly effigies.

The shrine itself had of course been rebuilt many times, due to the wear and tear of a tropical climate, if nothing else.

Gwendal spared little attention for the ornately carved wooden pillars and buttresses as he climbed the steps and pushed open the massive double doors. They would have normally been locked off during the rest of the year, but the massive lock and chains had been moved aside - in preparation for their arrival.

Following after Gwendal as he strode down the wide, shadowed hall, Josak carefully noted all the potential hiding places for soldiers... or assassins.

'Belar agreed to meet us too easy,' Josak thought, his sharp eyes missing nothing. 'And why insist on meeting here? It's isolated, maybe, and we won't be disturbed, but...'

The shrine hall stretched onward, deeper into the mountain. The wooden walls gave way to stone, though the seemingly endless rows of wooden pillars continued either side.

Finally, a red-orange glow appeared in the distance, growing bright and brighter as they approached. Waves of heat buffeted them, tugging on Gwendal's long coat and hair.

An almost unbearable heat slammed into the Demon Tribesmen as they stepped out of the tunnel and onto the main altar of the shrine. Past the wooden gateway, there was only stone, roughly hewn into massive, ancient shapes - pillars and arches, a balcony over the lava pool and a small shrine, or maybe a statue that long since lost its features.

Belar stood in front of the altar, his features ominously underlit and cast into stark shadow. Despite the thick, heavy air, he remained in his lavish coat and furs. He looked unnaturally, unsettlingly pale, without even the faintest shimmer of sweat. His thick brown hair billowed in the updrafts like a monster's mane.

"So you've come," he noted as Gwendal stepped into the altar chamber. "Good. That'll save me the trouble of hunting you down."

He seemed strangely confident, given the relatively few soldiers with him. Certainly, they would not be enough to match someone like Gwendal, even with only Josak for backup. Though, he noted, they were not the standard Big Cimaron troops. Their faces were hidden by masks, and any weapons they carried were concealed under their long dark cloaks.

Though Josak didn't realize it, they were the same as the "special" soldiers Belar had brought to Francia to open the Box, the most fanatical and loyal.

Gwendal ignored them as he strode toward Big Cimaron's king. "Did you think we would just ignore your attack on our king? Or did you expect us to fall for your pathetic misdirection?" Gwendal asked coldly. "You all but gave yourself away by admitting you had taken the Small Cimaron soldiers prisoner. Or, more likely, you had them killed, except for their leader."

"Now, now, it hardly matters, right?" Belar drawled. "Your little puppet is hardly important. After all, you have a spare or two, don't you?"

Belar was referring to Murata, the double-black he had mistaken for the Demon King. To him, they probably really were completely interchangeable, below his notice. But Josak was surprised by his own sense of repulsion toward the idea. Their king might have been a naive kid, but he was irreplaceable.

Josak could see the same thought, the same anger and denial in Gwendal's tensing shoulders and clenching fists. Gwendal advanced menacingly, glaring at the pathetic excuse of a man who dared to suggest their king was some something insignificant and unimportant. He could still remember the moment of horrified fear as he stared at the burning remains of the king's room, thinking he had utterly failed Yuri and all those that cared for him.

This... this, above all else, was unforgivable. It would not be allowed.

Caught in that whirlpool of emotion, so uncharacteristically strong for him, Gwendal didn't notice the sudden faltering of his magic or realize that Belar had been too calm, beyond arrogance or madness, and almost gleeful, watching him approach.

As he stepped into the center of the altar, his legs abruptly gave out under him.

"Your Excellency!" Josak exclaimed, drawing his sword as he rushed to Gwendal's aid. Even he felt the slight distortion in the air at the center of the shrine's inner sanctum.

"Esoteric stones?" Gwendal muttered, clutching at his chest. The concentration was almost impossibly high, and he was struggling just to breathe, his vision swimming alarmingly.

"Not exactly," Belar replied with the easy confidence of someone who believed he had won. "It's all shrouded in foolish superstition and legend, but it would seem this shrine contains an ancient seal. Supposedly, it gathers and funnels the power of the spirits. I was assured that in your case, it would act not just to interfere with your Demon magic, but to actively drain it. Isn't that quite something?"

'That's why it feels like... one of Anissina's more dangerous inventions,' Gwendal thought, snarling. He recognized the sensation now, of his magic being siphoned away. But where Anissina had always known her subjects' limits, this would likely continue until he died from magic exhaustion.

All along the altar and across the crude pillars, unknown runes and symbols had begun to glow faintly. For what ritual had the shrine and its seal been originally constructed? Most likely, Belar neither knew nor cared.

"It sounds like a miserable way to die, doesn't it? Drained of your very life," Belar mused. He smiled mockingly at Gwendal. "But don't worry, I don't intend to make you suffer through that. After all, there is something I want from you. To be precise, your left eye."

That strangely specific goal startled Josak, but judging by the way his eyes narrowed, it meant something to Gwendal.

Belar looked triumphant, as if having confirmed something for himself. "I heard all about it," he assured Gwendal. "That fool Maxine told me quite a few interesting things. The left arm is the Key to the End of the Wind, the Box in my possession."

For a moment, his expression showed bitter frustration with the way he believed Conrart had fooled him.

"But from his little experiment, it's clear that a Key can be used to open the wrong Box. The result was sufficient, perhaps even preferable. After all, the world can't be ruled if it is completely destroyed," Belar mused.

The casual way he weighed the potential destruction wrought by the Boxes and the lives involved was chilling.

"He also told me that they had believed their Box to be the Ends of the Earth and sought to track the bloodline connected to it," Belar continued. "He even had one the members of that lineage at his disposal in Svelera. He brought the Box there, but when he tried to test it, the Box only burned the man's face."

'Gegenhuber Griesela,' Josak realized. He remembered the brutal scar that marked almost half his face, centered around... his left eye...

"That fool Maxine assumed that the Box was the wrong one," Belar sneered, "but more likely, it was because he had the wrong member of that line. There is only one of each Key, after all. That there was a reaction at all shows he came close."

Belar's hungry eyes focused on Gwendal, studying his features the way one might look at a prize mare or hound. "And isn't it my luck that the true successor of that bloodline is right here," he said slowly, his lips spreading in a parody of a smile. "I'll have to test it, of course, but that won't be difficult. After all, the Keys still work even separated from their original holders."

He jerked his head to the cloaked soldiers, who began to advance on the two Demon Tribesmen. "We only need the left eye, but go ahead and take the whole head," Belar instructed, watching with obvious relish.

"As if I'll just let you!" Josak exclaimed, raising his sword. Just one glance was enough to let him know that Gwendal would not be able to stand under his own power, and his condition was getting worse. The odds were not good, but he'd faced worse, if only once before.

Instead of moving to intercept him, the soldiers parted their cloaks to reveal strange cylindrical contraptions that could only be weapons. The leader, standing half a step in front of the others, leveled his device in Josak's direction.

There was a strange whirring sound, and suddenly a large fireball shot out, just barely missing the half-breed. The heat of its passing left his bare arm burning.

But past the first moment of surprise, Josak refused to let himself falter. He had faced opponents with special skills before - whether magic or machine. He bared his teeth in a predator's grin and calculated the fastest way to reach his enemies.

The odds were bad, but he would still take them.

The cloaked soldiers raised their weapons, the same whirring sound multiplied to become almost a roar, and fired.

"STOP!"

The sudden, commanding roar was accompanied by a burst of pure power that swept across the shrine. Human-made fire stood no chance before the might of magic, and the storm of fireballs simply dissipated into little more than wisps of smoke.

The wave of magic rolled onward, throwing the cloaked soldiers back. Their weapons burst apart as that power passed through them.

Footsteps echoed in the sudden silence. Josak slowly turned around, following Belar's fixed gaze over his shoulder. A slight figure, magic all but tangible around it, emerged from the long, dark tunnel. Black hair swayed in the flow of that power, almost hiding equally black eyes that glared sharply at Big Cimaron's king.

"Your Majesty..." Josak murmured, truly meaning it, in every sense, for perhaps the first time.

"Enough," the Demon King declared, striding forward. His eyes were firmly locked on Belar, ignoring Josak's aborted attempt to warn him about the esoteric seal. As he moved across the altar, the unknown runes flared with almost blinding light before settling into a steady glow. Magic hung heavily in the air, and the temperature suddenly dropped. Released from the seal's trap, Gwendal gasped quietly, as if coming up for air.

The thick aura had drained from the Demon King with each step, until it was simply Yuri who drew beside Josak and Gwendal. Up close, Josask could see the way his shoulders were heaving and his white shirt was soaked through with sweat. The bundle in his arms shifted and let out a deep growl.

"That's enough," Yuri said, his voice quiet but strong. He took another step forward, putting himself between Belar and his people. "Don't you know you've already lost? The Box you have is just a fake. Just stop. Enough."

The revelation of his failure stunned Belar into motionless silence. He stared, wide-eyed, at Yuri as his mind tried to comprehend what had occurred behind his back.

Finally, Belar flinched as if startled awake and seemed to curl in on himself. His shoulders shook, but the sound that emerged was laughter. Throwing back his head, he laughed, mad and bitter.

"Is that so," he snarled, his mouth still twisted into a teeth-baring grin. "So that's what you were aiming for. It seems I underestimated you, Demon King!"

Just as quickly as it had come, his anger drained away. Relaxing, almost languidly, Belar studied Yuri with an assessing gaze. On the edges of the platform, his cloaked soldiers began to pick themselves up, again moving to surround the Demon Tribesmen.

"So what do you plan to do?" Belar asked. He smirked at the way Yuri's eyes narrowed in confusion. "You act innocent, but in truth you've been amassing power all this time. So what's you goal? The world? The extermination of humanity?"

"Of course not!" Yuri protested, honest distress showing clear on his face. "The only thing I want is peace!"

Belar nodded knowingly. "Of course, I see. Certainly, everyone will be far too afraid to dare attacking you. Is that what you're thinking?" Ignoring Yuri's protests, he looked down at the thing the young king was clutching to his chest. "You've gathered quite the armory, haven't you? I can see you've retrieved that cursed thing as well."

"It's not like that!" Yuri insisted. "I just didn't want Morgif to cause any more trouble for the people here."

"So that is the Demon Sword, just as I suspected," Belar noted. "How can you say you strive for peace when seeking out a weapon like that? How can you expect any human to trust you? Do you know how many humans have been slaughtered by that blade? How many human lives that cursed thing fed upon?"

Yuri flinched, holding Morgif closer. The sword groaned, a low, apologetic sound. Through the black jacket wrapped around it, the demon blade was glowing faintly.

"...Is that what everyone will think?" Yuri wondered. He looked down at the sword in his arms. It crooned sadly, the white face twisting toward him. "Is Morgif really something like that?"

Slowly, his saddened, confused expression shifted into the familiar look of determination as Yuri seemed to come to some decision.

He gripped the hilt of the sword in one hand and the black cloth with the other. Pulling the jacket off, he let Morgif's blade swing free, the tip trailing just above the stone of the altar as Yuri began to walk toward the edge - and toward Belar.

The king of Big Cimaron watched cooly as Yuri drew level with him, only the small shrine between them. He seemed unconcerned with the weapon in Yuri's hand, even when Yuri raised the sword up. Its strange face was level with his own, the features shifting into something fierce and frightening.

"Morgif... Willem Dussollier Eli D'Morgif," Yuri said slowly. "You vow to always fight by the Demon King's side, no matter the battlefield. For your loyalty, I thank you." He bowed his head to the sword. "But I... don't want there to be any more battlefields, any more battles..."

The fanged mouth of Morgif's spectral visage opened, and the sword growled in reply. The deep, bass sound resonated through the volcano chamber, making the very rock tremble.

It seemed to mean something to Yuri. "I said I'd take you to nice hot spring in the Demon Kingdom," he said, "but would you... please wait here a little longer? Until I can prove to everyone that they don't need to be scared of you?"

Morgif groaned wordlessly. But even so, the meaning was clear - the Demon King's loyal servant would carry out his will, no matter what it was.

Yuri smiled, a little sadly, as he turned to face the lava pool beyond the edge of the altar platform. "Don't worry, no one will bother you here," he told Morgif. Turning the sword over, he let the blade rest on one palm, the hilt in the other, and bowed with the blade held out like an offering.

In a way, that was just what it was - a ritual offering.

Straightening, Yuri took a deep breath and threw Morgif into the air.

The sword spun, its blade glowing brightly as it plunged into the lava. The moment it was swallowed by the molten flow, a reverberation passed through the chamber, more than just a tremor. The esoteric seal flared before the power gathered in it surged out into the rock and the lava and seemed to dissipate completely.

Belar and the other Demon Tribesmen could only stare in shock, unable to comprehend Yuri's actions. Turning back, Yuri met Belar's eyes evenly, not quite a challenge, but a statement of fact.

Shaking his head in denial, Belar tried to laugh again, his chuckles stuttering and uncertain. "You... You've certainly got some guts," he snarled. "But don't think an empty show like that will change anything! Not when you still have the Boxes!"

"I'll end the threat of the Forbidden Boxes too," Yuri declared, cutting across Belar's rant. "That's why we have been gathering them in the first place. You're wrong to have ever thought of them as weapons. From the start, they were created for a different purpose - to rid the world of the Originators. And we're going to fulfill that promise."

"...That's what... you're planning...?" Gwendal muttered, dragging himself to his feet. Still weak from the drain to his magic, he grasped Josak's shoulder to steady himself. His intent gaze bore into Yuri.

Belar bared his teeth, glaring in anger at the Demon King. "It doesn't matter," he repeated. "None of that matters! Of course not! You don't need a weapon, do you, demon? After all, you yourself wield a power that can stop even one of the Forbidden Boxes!"

He gestured sharply, and the cloaked soldiers began to advance, closing in on the Demon Tribesmen.

"Why don't I get rid of that weapon for you as well?" Belar offered mockingly.

Josak spun around, pushing Gwendal back. Out of their group, he was probably the only one who could actually fight at this point. He raised his sword, but in the next moment he realized there had been no need.

One of the cloaked soldiers stumbled suddenly and fell forward, then a second, and a third. In the gap stood Conrart, readying his sword once more. Focused on Yuri, the others had missed his arrival, on the heels of his liege.

"That's enough," Yuri said again. He leveled one final fierce, commanding look at Belar and stepped away from the ledge. "We're leaving."

Belar glared after him, but as his eyes darted to Conrart and Josak, both ready to fight, to Gwendal, slowly but steadily recovering, and to Yuri himself, possessing an unknown power, he seemed to realize persisting would be nothing short of suicidal.

At his reluctant signal, the cloaked soldiers parted ranks, letting the Demon Tribesmen pass, Yuri leading, Gwendal and Josak following, the former still leaning heavily on the former. Conrart brought up in the rear, his sword held at ready long after they stepped out of the altar chamber.

~.~.~

Emerging from the long hall into the main wooden shrine building, Yuri took a deep, shuddering breath and hunched in relief as he exhaled. His steps picked up suddenly, and he all but ran out of the shrine into the cool evening air.

He wasn't sure why now, after everything was settled, but he was suddenly shaking and short of breath. Bracing his hands on his knees, Yuri bent over and tried to compose himself.

Conrart came up beside him, laying one hand on his back and leaning over to glance at his face. Yuri forced a smile, but he knew the expression was far from reassuring. Still, Conrart seemed to understand.

"Would you like me to carry you now, Your Majesty?" he asked with teasing helpfulness.

Yuri smiled, exasperated but honest. "I can walk by myself," he said. "And it's Yuri, remember?"

Conrart smiled in return. "Of course, Y-"

"Your Majesty," Gwendal snapped, cutting their banter short. He had recovered enough to loom over them both, his expression dark. Frowning, he demanded, "Why did you come?"

"I heard from Flynn that you went to meet with Belar," Yuri explained. He frowned too, looking up at Gwendal. "What were you thinking, anyway? What were you trying to do?"

"...He has become too great a threat, not just to the Demon Tribe, but to the world at large. I had intended to assassinate him," Gwendal admitted.

"What?!" Yuri shouted, straightening with a snap. "You can't do that! You can't just decide to end someone's life like that! I would never support something like that!"

'That's precisely why I didn't want you to know,' Gwendal thought, unwillingly forced to look away from Yuri's angry, indignant glare.

"And what were you thinking?" he shot back in response. "Giving in to his taunting and throwing the legendary Demon Sword into the volcano? A weapon like that could have ensured that no human nations dared to attack the Demon Kingdom!"

Yuri flinched but stood his ground, glaring back. "That wasn't because of what Belar said! But other human nations will think that too!" He spread his hands pleadingly. "We're already asking them to believe in us a lot. Right now, no one will be able to just trust us with Morgif's power. But one day, when we have true peace and no one has to be afraid anymore, I'll definitely come back for Morgif!"

Standing to one side and observing the argument, Josak and Conrart exchanged a look. Both quickly glanced away, the same thought occurring to both. 'Why does he think the sword won't melt in the lava?' It's the Demon Sword, true, but wasn't that taking it too far? Of course, neither was willing to point that out to Yuri. The concept might not have occurred to him at all.

Unable to decide whether to try to beat some sense into Yuri, bow down to the determined wish of his king or pet the endearing little fool, Gwendal simply growled and stalked past Yuri, down the steps leading up to the shrine.

"Hey, Gwendal, wait!" Yuri called after him, running to catch up.

However, his far shorter legs were at a definite disadvantage as Gwendal took the steps four at a time. But the time Yuri reached the road at the bottom, he was out of breath again. To his surprise, Gwendal was waiting for him, and he wasn't alone.

Flynn smiled at Yuri as he finally reached where she, Alford and Gwendal stood. "All of you made it. That's good." she noted. But her sharp eyes didn't miss Gwendal's slightly worn appearance, Yuri's exhaustion, or the missing sword. She didn't need to ask how things had gone with Belar. Instead, she said, "What will you do now?"

"We will be departing," Gwendal replied shortly. "I believe all that we've done everything possible at this conference."

"But what about the other delegates?" Yuri wondered. Hesitating, he added, "And... can't we at least spend the night?" The prospect of walking all the way down to the harbor and the preparations necessary to set off was honestly daunting.

Flynn's lips thinned as she seemed to read something in Gwendal's words. But she still offered a smile to Yuri. "It's alright. I'll take care of it. I think... you're right. It's time to wrap up this conference," she said. "I need to get back to Caloria. We have a lot to prepare for."

Yuri nodded reluctantly. "It's just... I don't want it to end like this," he admitted. "Did we even accomplish anything?"

"Oh, I think so," Flynn said, smiling mysteriously. "It might not seem that way, but the way forward can be revealed in truly unexpected ways."

She looked sad but determined, as she looked up at the darkening sky, lost in thought.

"Sometimes... it might seem like a tragedy, but... good things come of it too," she said, mused. "The will to finally take action, openly and proudly... Meetings and friendships that would have otherwise never taken place..."

"You mean... with Caloria..." Yuri wondered, staring at her in surprise.

Smiling, Flynn nodded. "Caloria was not destroyed. We will rebuild our country, stronger and more beautiful than ever before," she promised. Unexpectedly, she bowed. "Please lend us your support, as our allies."

"O-of course!" Yuri replied, bowing in return. They both peered up at the same time, their eyes meeting. Together, they chuckled, straightening. Smiling and holding out his hand, Yuri said, "Let's work together, okay? Toward a future of new possibilities between our two tribes."

Flynn's small hand was soft and gentle in his, but her grip was firm. "I'm looking forward to it, Your Majesty," she said. Her eyes were clear and determined.

'She's really strong,' Yuri thought, blushing a little. 'I've really got to pull it together if I want to become a good leader too.' Glancing behind him, he could see Conrart, Josak and Gwendal watching. 'Everyone is counting on me.'

"Let's go home," Yuri declared, turning to them. "Everyone is waiting for us!"

He couldn't wait to see Wolfram and Murata again, and even Gunter. He really was so lucky. He wouldn't let them down.

~.~.~

((It's finally over. The next part is all Filler, in true anime style. Nothing meaningful happens. There's lots of pointless running around. Oh yeeeeah.))

((But now we're really eating through my back log, mostly because I'm kinda stuck on my writing. At this rate, I might have to space updates more widely...)


	34. V-1 The color black

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun. Season 2.

Notes: Yuri catches up on what happened while he was away.

~.~.~

**Part V, Chapter 1**

_The color black_

~.~.~

Taking a deep breath, Wolfram raised his hand and knocked on the great double doors of the Demon King's chambers. For several moments, he stood, waiting silently, but there was no response.

Thinking he had been too timid and feeling angry and embarrassed, he raised his fist and pounded on the wood.

"Yuri! Hey, I know you're back!" Wolfram yelled. "Open up!"

A door opened. But to his surprise, it wasn't the one he was knocking on. Rather, the door of the rooms next to the Demon King's had opened and Yuri's familiar dark head peeked out.

"Wolfram!" Yuri greeted cheerfully. "Hey, what's up?"

For a moment, Wolfram simply stared. "What... what are you doing? Why are you over there?" he wondered. Flushing a little, he wondered, 'Did I get the wrong room? That's not possible!'

"Oh, I'm helping Conrad settle in!" Yuri said brightly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"What?" Wolfram repeated, dumbfounded. 'What are you helping him with? I doubt he's got much, and you've been back for a while. And for that matter, why is he moving in next to you?!'

"The room next to mine was empty, so I thought it was a good solution, right?" Yuri explained, beaming proudly. "Gwendal agreed too."

"Well, I suppose it's not bad to have someone nearby to protect you," Wolfram conceded, getting pulled along by Yuri's reasoning. He shook his head. "Anyway, it's convenient. I wanted to talk to Weller."

Taking his cue, Conrart stepped out of his new room as well and regarded Wolfram neutrally.

"Come with me," Wolfram demanded, covering his nervousness with bluster. When Conrart hesitated, Wolfram snapped, "Well, what's the problem? You're off-duty, aren't you?"

"I'll come too," Yuri decided, looking entirely too anticipatory.

"...If you don't mind me asking," Conrart said, still hesitating at the door, "what's this about?"

"Sword training," Wolfram said succinctly. He shifted the two training swords under his arm. He could feel himself flushing as his resolve wavered under the press of his embarrassment and uncertainty. What was he doing? This was stupid. He-

Wolfram shook his head again and, reaching out suddenly, grabbed Conrart's arm. Tugging sharply, he began to unceremoniously drag his brother down the hall.

"Wait for me!" Yuri yelled, jogging after them. He only smiled brightly as Conrart shot him a startled, helpless look.

"Don't misunderstand!" Wolfram called back over his shoulder. "I just need someone to take my strikes! Everyone else is too pathetic. They keep giving up too fast!"

"So he's just a training dummy?" Yuri wondered under his breath.

Dragging his brother out into the courtyard, Wolfram quickly let go and hurried to take up position across from him. "Here," he called, tossing Conrart one of the practice swords he had brought. "Let's get started!"

Despite his surprise, Conrart somehow managed to not fumble, catching the practice sword and bringing it into position. Nodding once, Wolfram went on the attack.

Watching them, Yuri smiled and shook his head. Despite his mother's best efforts, he didn't have much interests or understanding of swordsmanship. Wolfram had brought them to the familiar area next to the fountain, and Yuri instead wandered over to the flowerbed. Reaching out, he noted with some surprise that the blue flowers he liked were blooming again.

He looked up as a shadow fell across his back.

"Hey, Murata," Yuri greeted, waving. "What's up?" Taking the hand his friend offered, he stood up.

"Welcome back," Murata replied. "Sorry it took me so long to drop by."

"Did something happen?" Yuri asked. "I mean, with..."

Murata hesitated before shaking his head. "...I don't think so," he said, unusually uncertain. "The seal is getting weaker though, so we've been having trouble containing the leaking miasma. And then that blowhard came barging in... Honestly."

It was rare for Murata to speak so negatively. Usually he was the sort to give backhanded compliments and disguise his insults. More than anything else, that gave Yuri some idea of how stressed the Great Wiseman really was.

'Even though I declared we would put an end to the threat of the Originators, I've got no idea what to do from here,' Yuri thought glumly. 'We gathered three of the Boxes, but the fourth is probably on Earth. But we don't even know how to travel to Earth without the Great One's help, and he's...'

Yuri was startled out of his increasingly depressing thoughts as Wolfram was suddenly sent flying. The young lord hit the ground hard, groaning, though he at least managed to keep hold of his practice sword.

"Way to go," Murata sighed, pushing up his glasses.

"What happened?" Yuri asked, glancing between and the two brothers.

Murata shook his head. "Young Lord Von Bielefelt took Lord Weller by surprise. I guess he improved while Lord Weller wasn't looking..." Murata mused. "Lord Weller reacted instinctively and... well, you see."

'Oh, I've seen that in historical dramas,' Yuri thought, nodding.

"Wolfram! Are you alright?" Conrart called out, moving tentatively toward his younger brother.

But Wolfram appeared to be just fine. He sat up abruptly, shaking off his surprise. "One more time!" he declared, climbing to his feet. "And don't hold back this time!"

"...Of course," Conrart agreed after a moment, holding his sword up again. He hesitated before adding, "Perhaps this time you can try putting a little more of your weight forward..."

Wolfram nodded sharply, shifting his stance, and launched into another attack.

~.~.~

"Oh, I never did get around to asking," Yuri remembered suddenly. "How did your trip go?"

"Huh?" Wolfram looked up before giving up and letting his head drop again. His shoulders were heaving, and he was covered in sweat, more from his own fervent attacks than from anything Conrart had done.

"Are you okay?" Yuri wondered, leaning in to look at Wolfram's face.

The young nobleman shoved him away weakly. "Cut it out. I'm fine," he grumbled. Taking a deep breath, he tried to get his thoughts together. "It went okay," he answered finally. "My uncle is loyal to the Demon Kingdom. He agreed to at least wait and see. Well, I wasn't really worried."

"Oh, so you went to visit because you missed him?" Yuri asked.

Wolfram glared, refusing to even dignify that with an answer. "...He told me I had grown up well," Wolfram muttered finally. "What's that supposed to mean? I'm not a kid."

Footsteps behind them made the two boys turn. A dark-haired man approached them, smiling faintly.

"Lord Von Bielefelt is right," the man said. "You've grown up well, Wolfram."

"Raven," Wolfram muttered, staring at the man in surprise. "Why are you here?"

Stopping in front of them, Raven bowed. "I'm glad to see you are well. I heard you had gone back to the Von Bielefelt lands after the coronation," he said.

"It's good to see you too," Wolfram agreed. Glancing at Yuri, he added, "This is Raven. He's the closest subordinate of Mother's brother, Stoffel Von Spitzweg. You probably met him at your coronation."

"Um, right," Yuri said. "Nice to meet you." He didn't remember Raven, but then, he had been in a hurry to get away from Stoffel.

"Actually, I have something I need to discuss with the Demon King," Raven said.

Taking the hint, Wolfram stood and stretched. "Very well," he said.

Yuri watched him go for a moment before turning back to Raven. "So what is it?"

Strangely, Raven hesitated. "Walk with me, Your Majesty?" he asked.

As they walked through the courtyard, into an isolated part of the garden, Yuri watched Raven carefully. The man seemed to be uncertain how to proceed, which really peaked Yuri's curiosity. But Yuri could relate to not knowing how to say something.

'I guess I should try to break the ice,' Yuri thought.

"Um, so..." he tried to find some topic. "You know, this is the first time I've seen someone with black hair here in the Demon Kingdom!" It was true. Even Gwendal's dark hair was only gunmetal grey, not the true black Raven had. However, his eyes were a pale blue, unlike Yuri and Murata's double-black. "I thought it was a royal color or something, so does that mean you're from some super noble family?"

"No... nothing like that," Raven admitted. "I'm common-born. But because I was blessed with this coloring, I was able to become My Lord and Lady's playmate. I was... truly fortunate."

"Miss Celi and Stoffel's childhood friend, huh? So you've been with them for a long time?" Yuri mused.

Raven smiled, the same half-hearted quirk of the lips that made it seem like he didn't remember how to be truly happy. "Yes, I have been able to remain with them and watch over them all this time..."

Something about his deferential manner was annoyingly familiar to Yuri. He could see the way Raven reflexively tried to fall back, a step behind Yuri, despite the fact that the two were having a conversation. Yuri himself kept having to slow down to match Raven.

'Haven't I seen this somewhere before?' he thought. 'It was... "Don't call me Your Majesty," wasn't it?'

"Well, I'm sure they were happy to always have you beside them," Yuri said, though something about the words made Raven look away.

"Yes..." Trailing off, Raven suddenly drew to a stop. "That... is part of why I wanted to speak with you. It concerns Lord Von Spitzweg."

Yuri stopped as well, turning to face Raven. It was clear that even admitting to his concerns was difficult for someone as loyal as Raven.

"You are probably not aware of this, but Lord Von Spitzweg came to Covenant Castle to seek an audience with you," Raven explained quietly. "However, you and your retenue were away at the peace conference, and Lord Von Crist refused to meet with him."

Blinking a little at having his companion described that way, Yuri tried to imagine the situation. He, Gwendal, Conrart and Josak had all been at Van Da Via, while Wolfram had left for his family's lands, and Murata had gone to the Tomb. Gunter had been the only one left at the castle. But given the frigid, cutting way he and Stoffel had spoken at Yuri's coronation, he could easily imagine Gunter snubbing Lord Von Spitzweg.

"So Lord Von Spitzweg sought an audience at the Tomb of the Great One," Raven continued.

"Wait, I thought people weren't normally allowed to enter," Yuri said. "And they've been really busy, haven't they? ...Wait, is he the blowhard Murata said barged in?"

Raven looked pained, and Yuri winced, realizing what he had just said and to whom.

"...Yes," Raven said with an effort, "His Excellency... made his way into the shrine... without express permission from Lady Ulrike..."

'Don't strain yourself, I get it,' Yuri thought, seeing the difficulty Raven had just admitting his lord's misconduct.

"I see," Yuri assured him quickly. "But that's not what you wanted to tell me about, right?"

Raven nodded, his shoulders, under his thick black cloak, slumping. "...After that, His Excellency... changed. He started acting more and more strangely," he said, bowing his head. "I would find him speaking to himself in empty rooms and corridors. He began to distrust the soldiers and staff. Eventually, he chased out the servants and... he finally ordered even me to leave."

Wide-eyed, Yuri stared at Raven in surprise. Though Raven's face remained stoic, his pain at being dismissed by his lord was clear.

'So he came to tell me as a last resort, because he's worried about Stoffel,' Yuri thought. 'But what's Stoffel thinking? Chasing out his staff and even his closest retainer? Why suddenly distrust everyone?...'

And suddenly it clicked.

"Miasma," Yuri said, one fist hitting the other palm.

"Miasma?" Raven repeated, understanding dawning on his face. "He must have into contact with it at the Tomb of the Great One."

Yuri nodded. "Murata said they've been struggling to contain it," he said. "The biggest symptom is becoming unable to trust anyone, right? ...We're going to have to let at least Murata know. And probably the others too."

Raven bowed his head. "I understand. I will do whatever it takes to help His Excellency," he said.

'...I guess even a guy like Stoffel has people who care about him,' Yuri thought. 'He's luckier than he knows. Well, I guess I'm pretty lucky, too.'

~.~.~

"...And that's the situation," Yuri concluded his explanation.

He looked around at the people who had been assembled in his office. Gwendal and Wolfram both looked annoyed, while Murata looked thoughtful, Gunter wrung his hands, and Conrart simply leaned against a bookcase, waiting patiently. Standing behind Yuri, Raven was a silent, morose presence.

"I am deeply sorry, Your Majesty," Gunter all but wailed. "It was my oversight that allowed this! I was just so busy with matters of state..."

"No, no, it's my fault for dumping all the work on you," Yuri assured him, knowing that "busy" didn't even begin to describe what Gunter had put up with while they were gone. Stacks of paperwork still occupied almost his entire office.

Gwendal sighed heavily, almost growling. "Just what we need," he grumbled under his breath. To the room at large, he announced, "I had heard some rumors regarding this and dispatched Josak to check on the situation."

"Wow, really? That's so efficient," Yuri marveled.

"Of course. If something untoward starts happening in one of our territories, we have to act quickly," Gwendal huffed, giving Yuri another piercing, displeased stare. He continued, "Josak reported that all the staff had been chased out and... hm, that Stoffel commissioned large number of life-size puppets." He paused, still not quite sure what to make of that information.

"...That is correct," Raven said quietly. "His Excellency... dressed them as servants and posed them around the castle, after everyone was gone."

"Eh?" Yuri turned to stare over his shoulder. "That's... really creepy! Like a horror movie!" Although no one else freaked out as visibly as Yuri, everyone seemed to share that impression. Wolfram in particular had to fight down a shiver. It was unsettling to imagine Stoffel coming apart in such a short period of time.

Raven nodded, his expression growing even more miserable. 'It wasn't just the maids and guards that His Excellency had puppets of,' he thought, unease churning in his gut. 'It was also... the king. I wanted to warn His Majesty, but I don't want to speak ill of His Excellency either...'

"What a mess," Murata said, sighing. He pushed up his glasses, and suddenly it was the Great Wiseman speaking instead of Yuri's old friend. "We'll have to move quickly to deal with this. Have Gurrier check whether any of the staff show signs of miasma poisoning," he instructed Gwendal. "They might have picked it up while at the castle. Also, make sure no one else goes there in the meantime."

Gwendal nodded sharply, but Yuri wondered, "That's great and all, but how are we going to help Stoffel? Are we just going to wait until the miasma fades?"

"Yeah, I don't think we can count on that," Murata said, shaking his head. "Miasma doesn't fade, it gets stronger by feeding on the host's negative emotions. In the first place, it's only really possible to resist getting infected, not fight it off once it's gotten this bad." He sighed again. "Well, you'd need to be very strong-willed to pull off even that much."

The depressed aura around Raven thickened, but he did not deny the implied insult. 'Ouch, that's too harsh, Murata!' Yuri thought, feeling suddenly awkward. 'You're really that mad about him causing trouble?'

"I-it's a good thing he managed to send everyone away, where they'd be safe, right?" Yuri offered, spreading his hands in a pacifying gesture.

"...Right," Murata agreed, seemingly pulled out of his thoughts. "Well, in any case, purifying someone of miasma is always difficult. Miasma is a form of spiritual taint, caused by the Originator. It weakens people and reduces their ability to resist the darkness."

His expression had again taken on a faraway look as he searched through his memories.

"To counter it... all you can really do is siphon it off. For that, we'll need a special plant. If I remember correctly... it's called the Minadina Leaf. It grows on Mount Makadina. Miasma is very thick there, so this plant is able to absorb it as a natural adaptation. If you make a brew out of it, it will drain the miasma from a person as well," Murata explained.

"Okay! Then we'll have to get some of this plant!" Yuri decided, brightening now that he had something to focus on. "Who'll be going?"

Murata sighed once more. "Were you listening at all, Shibuya? I told you, Mount Makadina is covered in miasma. Anyone who goes there is liable to end up the same as Lord Von Spitzweg."

"Okay," Yuri nodded decisively, "I'll go by myself."

For obvious reasons, that was not acceptable.

"For His Excellency's sake, I will come as well," Raven said quietly. "It's the least I can do."

That was also not acceptable.

This... was going to take a while.

~.~.~

((Is it just me or does the anime have a fetish for giving people dark-haired, stoic super-loyal attendants? First we had Raven, then Berias/Belius...))


	35. V-2 The color black II

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri arrives in the other world late, and the race for the Boxes has already begun. Season 2.

Notes: In which there are mistaken identities.

~.~.~

**Part V, Chapter 2**

_The color black II_

~.~.~

Once a course of action had been decided, Raven had been left with nothing to do but pace the halls of Covenant Castle. The constant stream of people, all hurrying along on their own duties, should have been a relief to him after the terrifying stillness that had taken over Castle Spitzweg just before he had been sent away as well, but instead Raven felt claustrophobic and a little sick.

He had failed his lord, more than he could possibly express. Not only had he allowed Stoffel to work himself up into a righteous indignation that drove him to enter the Tomb of the Great One in the first place, but Raven had then failed to notice, recognize and act upon the signs that something was wrong until the situation had deteriorated beyond repair.

Then, he had multiplied his failings by abandoning his lord.

It didn't matter that he had gone to seek help, he had still run away when Stoffel clearly needed him.

Lost in thought, Raven had wandered out into the gardens. The flowers were in full bloom. He recognized most of them as Celi's creations. 'She's come a long way since those early failures,' he mused. 'I remember when she named the first one to survive after me. It was an ugly, drooping thing though...'

"Lady Cecilie..." he murmured, sighing.

"Raven!"

At first, he almost thought he had imagined her voice. But glancing around, he could see her figure, as if summoned by his thoughts. Her steps were hurried, a staccato of clicking heels against the stone path, and her usually mild expression was creased with worry.

"Raven! I came as soon as I heard," she said, reaching out to grasp at his cloak. "Is it true? Is something wrong with my brother? If you're here, then..."

Seeing her so distraught broke his heart, and Raven couldn't meet her questioning gaze.

"His Excellency has been poisoned by miasma," Raven admitted quietly. Celi gasped, one hand flying to her mouth. "It'll be alright," he hastened to assure her. "His Majesty is personally leading a party to Mount Makadina to gather the Minadina herb. With that, it should be possible to cure him."

"I see..." Celi murmured, clasping her hands tightly as if in prayer. She appeared relieved, just a little, but worry was still clear in her expression.

Stepping back, Raven bowed deeply.

"Lady Cecilie, I'm so sorry," he said, his shoulders shaking a little. "I have no excuse. I was unable to fulfill your request..."

"It's alright, Raven," Celi assured him, mustering up a smile. "Thank you for looking after him all this time. I know... your support means a great deal to him. He'd be lost without you."

"No, that's..." Raven tried to demure, but Celi laughed, a little shakily.

"You know it's true," she said. "Even when we were children, you were always pulling him out of trouble. Remember when he declared he was going to become a performer and tried to run away from home? He didn't even think to take a single thing with him and got lost in the forest, on top of that! Who knows what would've happened to him if you hadn't gone with him and brought some provisions and blankets with you, just in case?"

"I remember. You had been so disappointed by the flame-breather at the circus we snuck out to see. He insisted he could do a much better job," Raven reminisced.

"Those were such carefree days..." Celi said, smiling. "Remember when he got into a fight with Lord Von Gyllenhaal? He was in completely over his head, but he still wouldn't back down. You had to fish him out of the pond afterwards."

"Lord Von Gyllenhaal had refused to paint you because he said the color combination would be completely wrong," Raven said, sighing. "So Lord Stoffel set fire to all his canvases."

It had almost become a terrible diplomatic incident. Gyllenhaal had held a grudge for decades, until Celi finally asked him to teach Wolfram to paint. Still, it was better than the fiasco of Celi's early dating history.

Slowly, Celi's fond look faded into sadness again. "He's always tried so hard for my sake, hasn't he?" she murmured. "Even when he was completely in over his head."

"You are his beloved younger sister," Raven told her. "Even if he did not always succeed, he was determined to do what he thought was best for you."

But instead of being reassured, Celi appeared on the verge of tears. "It's my fault, isn't it?" she whispered. "I tried to run away from my responsibilities as Demon Queen. I dumped everything on him, and he... he tried so hard, but..."

Gasping quietly, she tried to swallow a sob.

Without thinking, Raven reached out to smooth her ruffled hair. Her golden curls were tangled, and her dress was askew, as if put on in a hurry. That image might have been appealing - and suggestive - in another situation, but the misery on her face was painful to see.

Celi sighed quietly and leaned into his palm. "You always brushed my hair so well," she murmured. "I missed it. I missed you, Raven..."

Startled, Raven tried to pull his hand back, but Celi caught it between her own soft palms. She looked up, her deep green eyes meeting his pale blue.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "You've both supported me for so long, but I've just burdened you... Raven, I'm releasing you from that promise." He stared at her in shock as Celi ducked her head. "I will help my brother, as I should have from the start. So go where you wish. Do what you want. You deserve to have that freedom."

Smiling faintly, Raven shook his head. "You've always thought of that as the greatest joy, haven't you? But to me... The only place I've wanted to be has always been by your side," he said. Hesitantly, his hand shifted in her grip, their fingers intertwining.

The shock on Celi's face slowly shifted to a small but sincere smile. "...You're too kind, to both of us," she murmured, stepping closer and letting her head rest against his chest. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Raven..."

~.~.~

"Are you worried, Your Majesty?" Conrart asked, glancing at Yuri.

"No, why?" Yuri replied easily. "Murata said that it'll be okay as long as everyone in our group trusts each other. I'm sure you, me and Wolfram will be fine."

Gwendal had been less than pleased with the arrangement, but he had ultimately been forced to concede and allow the expedition. There wasn't any time to dawdle. They would be departing as soon as preparations were complete.

Apparently, no one had ventured on Mount Makadina in several Demon Tribe lifetimes, so Murata and Gunter were frantically gathering what little information was available about its layout and where the Minadina Leaf might be found.

For the rest of their supplies, Wolfram had insisted on preparing his own, but Conrart had been tasked with handling both his own and Yuri's packing. Now, he had all but completed his preparations, and judging by the thick winter jackets Conrart had procured, it was going to be very, very cold.

"I'm honored by your trust, Your Majesty," Conrart said, smiling again. It looked extra-bright, even by Conrart's standards.

"I'm the one who's honored," Yuri said. "Thanks for volunteering to come along. Let's be honest, I don't know anything about mountain climbing or gathering herbs. I doubt Wolfram knows all that much either. So we'll both be counting on you."

In fact, their party was pretty unbalanced in terms of useful skills. Wolfram was a soldier, true, but his actual field experience was limited, and he wasn't trained for retrieval missions across harsh terrain. Yuri would be worse than useless, overall. But given the threat of the miasma, this had been the best arrangement they could come up with.

"Of course I volunteered for this mission. I'll follow you, wherever you go," Conrart promised. "I won't let you down."

"I know," Yuri told him, grinning. Suddenly, he crossed his arms and pretended to glare. "But there's one thing you keep failing at."

"Oh? What is it, Your Majesty?" Conrart wondered, though he had an inkling what Yuri meant. There was just one request he kept making.

"That! That right there!" Yuri shouted, pointing at Conrart. "Lord Weller!"

Conrart chuckled at Yuri's indignant expression.

Yuri's eyes narrowed. Clearly, Conrart didn't appreciate how much he had toned down another of Miko Shibuya's "Call Me Mama" methods. 'My precious baby boy,' she had called Yuri nonstop for weeks on end. It had been absolutely horrible.

Well, Yuri would just have to make for that with persistence. That was his way of doings, after all.

"Lord Weller," he insisted, "are you laughing at me? Lord Weller, cut that out. Lord Weller. Lord Weller, Lord Weller, Lord Weller!"

"Alright! That's enough, Yuri!" Conrart said, holding his hands up in surrender and edging away from Yuri's insistent chanting.

Yuri grinned, victorious, and Conrart couldn't help smiling back.

Both of them looked up as a sudden commotion by the gate caught their attention. Soldiers had gathered around a carriage that was pulling into the courtyard. They seemed oddly uncertain about how to proceed, each glancing at the others.

"What's going on?" Yuri wondered.

Conrart's eyes narrowed as he watched the carriage draw to a stop inside the castle's walls. "That carriage bears the Von Spitzweg crest," he said slowly, his gaze lingering on the rose emblem on the carriage's sides. The windows, he noted, were completely shuttered, providing no glimpse of who was inside.

"From Spitzweg?" Yuri repeated in surprise. "I thought everyone left? Do you think it's Stoffel?"

Without waiting for a reply, he hurried toward the carriage and the guards standing next to it.

Conrart followed more sedately, though with an undercurrent of hurry in his steps. The guards had stepped back from the carriage, a few departing to report whatever they had learned from the occupants while the rest created a loose ring around it. They turned to Yuri, as the king hailed them, and bowed deeply.

"No, it's a woman, but she has the Von Spitzweg seal," one of the guards told Yuri. "Actually... she said she has a message for you, Your Majesty. And she refused to get out or give it to anyone else."

"Wow, something that secret? Okay, I see what she wants," Yuri replied easily, stepping past the guards and moving to the carriage's door.

It swung open noiselessly, the angle hiding the occupant from Conrart's view. As he watched, Yuri's eyes widened and his breath caught in pure surprise. What could have caused such a reaction?

Conrart moved to follow, but the guard held him back. "She said she'll speak only to the Demon King, alone," the soldier relayed, though he quailed under Conrart's gaze. Conrart could understand their hesitation - the situation at Castle Spitzweg had not yet been announced, and interfering with one of the Ten Aristocrats or even their envoy had led to everything from reassignment to exile and even death.

But the Demon King was above the Ten Aristocrats, and his safety far outweighed any other concerns.

Shaking him off, Conrart pushed past the guards, toward the carriage. In the moment he had been looking away, Yuri had quickly climbed inside, the door closing behind him. Conrart only hoped that meant he had seen nothing dangerous in there.

He strode toward the carriage, intent on at least checking to make sure Yuri was alright, but the door on the other side suddenly opened and slammed shut again as someone jumped out. Yuri appeared around the corner a moment later, a heavy cloak clutched under his arm. His expression was oddly intent.

It was all quite strange. What could have happened in the handful of moments Yuri had been inside the carriage? Had he been given something? It hardly seemed like enough time to convey a verbal message. And... why had he exited on the other side?

"Your Majesty?" Conrart inquired, reaching for the young king. "Yuri? What happened?"

Yuri shook his head sharply, grasping Conrart's sleeve and pulling him away from the carriage. Behind them, the driver snapped his reins, and the horses neighed, pulling the carriage into motion. The guards watched, still uncertain but unwilling to interfere, as it rolled out through the main gate.

"Yuri, what's going on? What is that?" Conrart tried again, tugging lightly against the grip Yuri had on his cuff. The gesture itself was strangely childish for Yuri, but his grasping fingers remained tightly locked against the fabric.

Shaking his head again, Yuri continued to pull him along until they were alone in an isolated corner of the gardens. Whatever Yuri had seen or been told must have required quite a bit of secrecy. From the way the thick cloak was draped over his arm, Conrart judged he must have been hiding something under it.

Finally, Yuri turned to face him. Ducking his head, he stepped closer as he reached under the folded cloak for whatever he had concealed there. Conrart's hands reached up to rest on his shoulders, but with the first touch, he knew something was wrong. Through the black fabric of his uniform jacket, Yuri's shoulders felt cold and hard.

Conrart flinched, but he had realized the danger too late, too close to pull away in time. The polished metal of a blade glinted between the folds of thick fabric. Stunned by the attack from a quarter he never expected, Conrart almost didn't feel the dagger sliding into his stomach until blood, thick and warm, began to soak his uniform.

He stared down at Yuri in shock, but when that dark head tilted up, it wasn't the familiar face of his king that met his gaze - only the blank featureless mask of a puppet.

The dagger slid out, the burning, tearing pain hitting him suddenly, and everything went dark.

~.~.~

((Nothing like a good stabbing to get a story rolling, right? :-D Especially since this is a Filler part, where nothing really interesting happens.))

((Anyway, I'm unimpressed by your lack of support - except _issm_ and Serry2, in a last minute edition - so you don't get a Monday update. Depending on how I feel, you might not get a Wednesday one either.))

((Ruminate upon your sins. By which I mean "review."))


	36. V-3 In this world

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Since Yuri managed to get abducted out of his own castle, a rescue is organized.

~.~.~

**Part V, Chapter 3**

_In this world_

~.~.~

Scowling furiously, Yuri slammed his foot into the door of the carriage, but the wood refused to do more than rattle a little under his assault. He kicked it again for good measure, though all he seemed to accomplish was making his leg hurt.

This time, the thing sitting across from Yuri didn't stop him, only watching him placidly from behind Miko Shibuya's face.

There had been only a single moment when Yuri thought this thing might be his mother, an unexpected sliver of shock and longing cutting straight through his heart. He had frozen, staring up at that familiar face. Then, reality had caught up with him. It was just an illusion.

Emotion of a different sort had clouded Yuri's judgment instead. Pure fury and indignation had flooded his veins, and unthinkingly, Yuri had climbed into the carriage after the puppet, angry questions already on his lips. The door had closed and locked shut behind him.

The click of the lock had startled Yuri out of his anger. In his moment of hesitation, the cloaked figure that had been sitting beside Miko's double had slid out of the opposite door and quickly blocked off that avenue of escape as well.

The carriage had suddenly begun to move, and when Yuri tried to protest, the puppet wearing his mother's face had leaned in and held him still. If Yuri had not already been aware of its nature, the cold, unyielding feeling of its hands on his shoulders would have made it clear. This thing was not a human or a Demon.

It was much stronger than one too, Yuri thought with a grimace, massaging at the slowly blossoming bruises on one shoulder.

'Abducted from my own castle,' Yuri mused, caught between frustration and embarrassment. 'What will Wolf say? I'm never going to live it down.' He sighed. 'Well, at least they'll come to get me soon. It's not like could have missed the part where a mystery carriage took off with me.'

Across from him, the puppet continued to smile blankly. Yuri scowled again, just looking at it rousing his temper. "You can drop the charade. I can tell you're not my mother," he snapped. His eyes narrowed as something occurred to him. "How do you even know what she looks like?"

The puppet gave no reply.

Crossing his arms, Yuri settled down to wait in the dark, swaying interior of the carriage. Although he had no doubt that his friends would come to his rescue and, in this case, he was looking forward to it, he almost hoped they would take a little while longer, so that he could find whoever was behind this and get the answers he needed.

~.~.~

The soldier Gwendal had been giving orders to grew more and more pale with each word. It was frankly alarming, for all that Gwendal refused to show any such emotion.

"Out with it," he finally snapped, making the guard flinch violently. "What is it?"

"Sir," the soldier swallowed heavily, "is there... something wrong with the Von Spitzweg family?"

"Don't concern yourself with that," Gwendal said shortly, mostly because they had not decided on a cover story. He supposed he could say there was some kind of new illness going around... but better not to spread rumors, especially if the situation could be resolved with relative ease. "Just cover the roads and make sure no one goes in."

Gwendal was used to being obeyed immediately, and the fact that the soldier still hesitated made his feeling of unease grow.

Before Gwendal could prompt him again, the guard blurted out, "A carriage arrived just now, from the Spitzweg territory. They had the family seal, so we allowed them entry, but if... if there is some kind of trouble..."

"When was this?" Gwendal demanded urgently, already striding out of his office, toward the courtyard. 'How is that possible? According to Raven, there shouldn't have been anyone left at Castle Spitzweg at all!'

The courtyard was empty, Gwendal could see as he made his way to the gate. It made no sense. Seeing his approach, the other guards had moved from their posts, despite the fact that it was clear they wanted nothing more than to hide somewhere until the storm of his displeasure had passed.

"Well, where is it?" Gwendal barked. "Where's the carriage from Spitzweg?"

"They already departed," one of the guards ventured. "They were only here for a few minutes."

Gwendal's eyes narrowed. That didn't make any sense either. The entire situation was growing stranger and stranger, and he didn't like it at all. "What did they want? Who was inside?" he asked rapid-fire.

"There was a woman inside," a guard ventured, quivering away from Gwendal's glare. "She-she had a message for His Majesty..."

"And?" Gwendal snapped. "Did His Majesty speak to this individual?"

The soldier nodded, making Gwendal grind his teeth. "For a little while. He left with Lord Weller right afterwards."

"Find them, now!" Gwendal barked. He didn't know what was going on, but every sense was telling him that something was wrong. He paused for only a moment before adding, "And track down that carriage. Pull them over."

The gathered soldiers scrambled to obey, rushing away in all directions.

However, it wasn't one of them who found Conrart. It was Wolfram.

His scream echoed across the castle.

~.~.~

Wolfram had washed the blood of his hands, but it remained soaked through the sleeves of the travel clothing he had worn in preparation for their departure. Judging by the way he kept twisting his hands together, the feeling of it had not faded either.

There was little Gwendal could do but lay a comforting hand on his slumped shoulder.

Standing, Wolfram shook his head. "Yuri was right," he muttered. "I never wanted that."

"Can you tell me what happened?" Gwendal asked with all the gentleness his usually afforded only to small, cute animals. In that moment, his youngest brother looked more delicate than any kitten he had ever held.

"...I finished my packing, so I was looking for those two," Wolfram explained slowly. "We'd need to set out soon if we wanted to reach the foot of the mountain before evening. But I couldn't find them anywhere... One of the maids said she'd seen Yuri pull Weller into the gardens, so I went to check, and..."

He shook his head again, unable to continue. Gwendal didn't press. The scene he and the guards had rushed in to find was still painfully clear in his mind - Wolfram kneeling beside Conrart's prone, bleeding body, a crimson-tipped dagger and what at first appeared to be the king's form lying crumpled nearby.

The other form had been only a puppet, dressed in a replica of Yuri's favorite black uniform and a short black wig. Somehow, every guard on duty at the gate and most likely Conrart himself had been fooled by it. Gunter and Murata had taken custody of the cursed thing and had only just emerged, the expressions on their faces suggesting that their findings were not favorable.

An image of the situation was beginning to take shape in Gwendal's mind, and he did not at all like what it suggested.

The door across the room opened, and a young woman in the white uniform of a medical officer stepped out. Her dark green eyes were troubled as she turned to regard the people waiting for news of her patient.

"How is he, Gisela?" Gunter asked, drawing nearer. Murata trailed behind him, seemingly lost in unpleasant thoughts. From another corner, Celi and Raven came closer as well, the duty of comforting the former queen having fallen to her childhood friend while Gwendal tried to regain at least some control of the situation.

"Lord Weller's injury is not life-threatening," Gisela said. That much she was certain of. "It is not even exceptionally serious. He will need to recover for a time, but I have stemmed the blood flow, and I do not foresee any difficulties, barring unexpected complications."

She hesitated, setting Gwendal's already strained nerves on edge. "Well, what is it?" he demanded.

"...To be honest, I'm surprised that this kind of wound could have knocked out Lord Weller," Gisela admitted. "I tested the blade for poisons, just in case, but I didn't find anything."

"It might have been from emotional shock," Gunter suggested quietly. "If he thought that His Majesty had attacked him..."

Celi drew a sharp breath, her grip on Raven tightening. Gwendal could understand - just imagining what Conrart must have felt made his gut twist queasily.

"How was that possible?" Gwendal asked, his voice sharp as he tried to wrestle down his anger.

Gunter shifted awkwardly under his glare, but Murata seemed too preoccupied to notice. As he looked up, pulled out of his thoughts, his glasses caught the light ominously.

"The puppet was animated and made into a temporary familiar," he said, his usually cheerful voice low and angry. This was the Great Wiseman speaking, no longer just Yuri's old friend. "The puppet is able to create an illusion that makes it appear to be the person it was created in the shape of. In this case, Shibuya."

"Wait, but then where's Yuri?" Wolfram wondered.

"...The guards said he got into the carriage, only to climb back out almost immediately," Gwendal said heavily, his mind almost rebelling against the very idea of must have occurred. "Most likely... the one they saw exit the carriage was this puppet, and the king..."

"...Has been abducted?!" Gunter exclaimed, his already drawn features paling alarmingly.

"We have to get him back!" Wolfram shouted, jumping to his feet.

"The patrols I sent somehow failed to catch up to them," Gwendal noted sourly, "but there shouldn't be much doubt where they were headed."

"Back to the Spitzweg territory," Wolfram said grimly. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Only Gwendal's hand on his shoulder prevented him from storming off.

"We can't make a spectacle. There's no telling what the other Ten Aristocrats would do if they caught wind of this," Gwendal cautioned, though he himself was less than pleased about having to worry about politics at a time like this.

"Then let me go with just a few people," Wolfram shot back. "We can move faster that way as well!" And time was of the essence in their situation.

"Please allow me to accompany you," Raven said, bowing. "This is... too much. I can't believe His Excellency would resort to such a thing."

"I'm going too," Celi announced, to her sons' surprise. Her expression - decisive and impatient with their delays - was one Gwendal was by far more used to seeing on Wolfram's features. Noticing Gwendal about to protest, she cut him off sharply, "Don't try to stop me. This is my brother apparently behind this. I will be going, no matter how you feel about it."

"I'll be coming as well," Murata said quietly, providing no further explanation.

Next to him, Gunter was clearly struggling to hold himself back from volunteering as well. He and Gwendal exchanged a quick look - their presence would be needed at the castle, to handle the fallout, coordinate the forces and marshal the reinforcements that Gwendal was sure they would need before this was over.

Gwendal looked over the proposed advanced force with a skeptical eye. While physically uninjured, Wolfram appeared to be at the end of his emotional rope, between finding his older brother bleeding out and his friend and liege being abducted. Gwendal had always thought that Wolfram had more strength in him than people gave him credit for, but was sending him on such a potentially dangerous mission in any way advisable, in his current state?

Their mother and Raven would probably be able to handle the emotional strain better, but they were both deeply involved in the situation and their judgment would be entirely compromised. Could he really count on them to came the right, logical choice when the time came?

And the Great Wiseman was clearly hiding something again, his drawn, unhappy look sending a faint shiver down Gwendal's spine. Whatever he was thinking, it could only be bad news. What could possibly be worse than miasma and the king being kidnapped from his own castle?

Could this group possibly be less suited and prepared for their task?

He should have known better than to ask.

The infirmary door Gisela had emerged from opened suddenly, Conrart standing in the doorway. Clean bandages were wrapped tightly around his middle under his unbuttoned shirt. Despite leaning against the doorframe more heavily than necessary, he was standing on his own two feet and his eyes were clear and focused.

"I'm going too," he said, prompting a storm of protests.

Taking one look at him, Gwendal knew there would be no changing his mind. Watching as Gisela tried to reason with him, Celi tried to guilt him into staying, and Wolfram snapped something in an attempt to hide his own concern, Gwendal briefly contemplated knocking Conrart out or sedating him. It wouldn't work, he knew. He recognized that look. Conrart would not be deterred.

Somehow, someway, Gwendal felt like Yuri was to blame for this. And from experience, he knew that kind of madness couldn't be fought.

"We don't have time for this," he snapped, catching everyone's attention. "You're all going. Get dressed, saddle your horses and head out. We're already too far behind as it is. Gunter and I will follow with a full contingent of troops. In the meantime, don't do anything stupid."

He strongly suspected that last was little more than wishful thinking.

Nodding sharply, Conrart stalked off, surprisingly steady on his feet.

"I healed him as much as I could, but if he fights, the wound will likely reopen," Gisela cautioned Gwendal, shaking her head before departing as well.

"Gwen..." Celi began, before shaking her head. She knew better than anyone how stubborn Conrart could be.

"It's alright, Mother," Wolfram spoke up, pausing on his way out. "I'll look after him. ...Yuri'll be upset if something happens to Weller."

Even with the weak qualification, having such a sentiment come from Wolfram was unexpected and somehow touching. His brother really did have steel under that selfish, spoiled exterior, Gwendal mused.

Thinking the same, Celi smiled fondly. With a light caress to her oldest son, she headed out to change, Raven following at her heels.

Gwendal's gaze lingered on Murata and Gunter, the only ones still remaining in the room. Gunter had stayed back, drawing the Great Wiseman aside. Despite his clear concern for the king, Lord Von Crist had been the one to notice the clear gap in their knowledge of the situation.

"I would suppose the puppets are being used as pre-manufactured golems. In a way, that may make them easier to animate. However, to give them a life-like appearance, even temporarily, enough to fool not only the guards, but even Conrart... I've never heard of a magic like that before," Gunter said quietly, his gaze free of judgement but intent on Murata.

"I'm not surprised," Murata muttered, his usually lighthearted expression forbidding and dark. "It's not a skill practiced by the Demon Tribe here."

"Or by any esoteric skill handler I've ever heard of," Gunter noted. "And I do not think Stoffel would know of such a thing either."

"No, he probably wouldn't," Murata agreed, tilting his chin down to hide his expression.

Gunter studied him for a moment, almost unwilling to follow his thoughts to their conclusion. "Then," he finally said, "the issue here is not simply that Stoffel has been poisoned by miasma. It would not, after all, grant him skills of which he has no knowledge."

"No. It wouldn't," Murata said. He turned away suddenly and headed for the door.

"You know what is happening here," Gunter called out, part-question, part-statement.

Murata paused. "I know what I desperately hope it's not," he replied without turning back, and without giving them a chance to question him further, disappeared down the hall.

His rapid footsteps sounded almost like he was running.

~.~.~

((Never mind. You guys are forgiven. For now.))

((So have a chapter where a fat load of nothing happens, haha.))


	37. V-4 There is no middle path

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: In which people are puppets.

~.~.~

**Part V, Chapter 4**

_There is no middle path_

~.~.~

More than the majestic Covenant Castle or the villa-like castle of the Karbelnikoff territory, Spitzweg Castle - with its golden towers and blue roofs - looked like something out of a fairy tale, the Disney castle come to life.

In some mocking parody of an amusement park, the castle appeared to be staffed by nothing but puppets. Life-sized dolls in maid uniforms lined Yuri's path and bowed deferentially, their bodies perfectly articulated but utterly lacking in any features.

Stepping out of the carriage, Yuri glanced back at the doll of his mother, only to see it suddenly collapse as the spell moving it was cut. Where Miko's face had been, there was only a blank mask.

'Ngh, I hate horror games...' Yuri thought, trying to steel his nerves as he stepped into the castle. Despite its beautiful facade, it was shrouded in an oppressive aura, and the halls seemed to be filled with almost liquid shadows that pooled in the corners and slowly slithered toward Yuri as he passed by.

There were more puppets lining the corridors, some dressed as soldiers in what must have been the Spitzweg uniforms - brown and red - and some in full plate armor. Or perhaps the armors had also begun to move, Yuri thought with a shiver.

The lifeless staff all stood aside to let him pass, both guiding him and assuring he didn't stray. Somehow, Yuri doubted any illusion he cast would affect them, so all that was left to do was face their master head on.

Squaring his shoulders, he marched through the entryway, to the main audience hall of the castle.

The grand chamber stood empty, somehow murky and shadowed despite the gallery of windows along one wall. Through the gloom, Yuri could just make out Stoffel's figure slumped upon the ornate chair at the other end.

Ignoring the doors ominously slamming shut behind him, Yuri stalked down the carpet path toward the throne and its occupant. All of his anger was suddenly surging back, drowning out his fear and hesitation.

"Stoffel!" Yuri called out sharply. "What are you doing? What is the meaning of this?!"

Stoffel's body jerked strangely, almost as if yanked awake, and he suddenly sat up, smiling blandly. "Welcome! It's so good of you to come, Your Majesty," he said as if nothing strange at all was happening. "Of course, I suppose my invitation wasn't one you could refuse."

"You call that an invitation?" Yuri snarled. "How did you know what my mother looks like? You've never been to Earth!"

"But it was an unavoidable measure I took to protect you, Your Majesty!" Stoffel continued in the same hollowly jovial tone, as if he had not even heard Yuri. "It was for your sake and for the sake of the Demon Kingdom!"

He stood, spreading his arms wide and rushing down the steps toward Yuri as if to embrace him. Yuri backed away reflexively, but up close, he could see that Stoffel's eyes were unfocused and his face was oddly slack, despite its parody of a smile.

'He's... this is...' Yuri thought disjointedly, swallowing. 'This can't be just miasma. Could it be that, at the Tomb, he...'

"Stoffel... Can you hear me?" Yuri wondered, taking another step back. "Are you... still in there?"

The man's pale blue eyes finally focused on Yuri, though something about his gaze still seemed far away. "Of course, Your Majesty," Stoffel assured him, his fixed smile unchanging. "I am your loyal servant."

"Stoffel, you..." Yuri began, but the man across from him continued to speak, unheeding.

"I had to make you understand that, Sire!" he insisted. "I tried and tried to speak with you myself, but they were always interfering, those deceitful nephews of mine. Just when I thought I could finally meet you alone, it turned out you had been taken away - to the human lands, no less! There's no telling what could have happened to you there!"

"I was the one who decided to go," Yuri muttered, but Stoffel wasn't listening.

He stared into the distance, at something only he could see. The fervent light in his eyes was unsettling. "I knew... I knew I had to do something," Stoffel continued. "This couldn't be the fate intended for our great kingdom. So I sought answers from him - from the Great One. He would put those whelps in their place! I didn't let that charlatan priestess stop me. No, I met him, our originator, the Great One himself."

'...That's not possible,' Yuri thought, stunned. 'He sealed himself away. And even if... then, what Stoffel saw must have been...'

His words were telling. This was the same as with Conrart - rather than the Great One himself, the evil he had been trying to seal had stolen his form and masqueraded as their nation's founder and first king.

Stoffel's eyes shone with zeal, despite the sallowness of his features. He looked sick, feverish. "He has spoken to me since then. He has told me so much," he mused, still smiling vaguely. "The way to bring you here, and even what must be done..."

He reached out, sending Yuri scrambling back again. All around them, the unnatural shadows seemed to deepen, and Yuri felt himself shudder in unease.

The doors, he knew instinctively, had been locked behind him. He could only run so far.

'Where are you guys?' he wondered. 'I could really use a rescue right now. Please come quickly. Please...'

~.~.~

They made good time, but even knowing that their horses certainly outpaced the carriage by a good margin did little to calm everyone's impatience and sense of urgency. Spitzweg was the closest territory to Covenant Castle, but it felt like they couldn't make it there fast enough.

Conrart kept pushing them faster and faster, despite the others' concern for him. He didn't care about the throbbing wound in his gut. All he could think of was how he had failed. How could he have not realized that was not Yuri? He had known that something was wrong, but he had allowed his other senses to mislead him. And now Yuri was in danger, alone.

He ignored the worried looks his mother and brother kept shooting him, as Spitzweg Castle came into view. The front gate stood open and just beyond he could already see the same carriage that had come to Covenant Castle.

Celi and Raven exchanged a short look as their group passed through the gate. The ominous aura around their home set them both on edge, and they couldn't help but wonder what kind of trap they were rushing into. But it was equally clear that neither Conrart nor Wolfram would stop.

They had expected an ambush, but the courtyard appeared deserted as they reined in their horses, dismounting quickly. If Conrart hesitated for just a moment upon hitting the ground, Celi and Wolfram did nothing more than move in a little closer.

The ambush appeared the moment they took a step toward the castle entrance. Puppets emerged from their hiding places, dressed like maids or soldiers, holding swords, knives or even brooms.

They attacked the Demon Tribes enmasse. The first fell easily to Raven's sword, the second through fifth to Celi's fire magic.

"Let's go! We need to keep moving!" Wolfram yelled over his shoulder. Kicking a puppet maid aside, he let Conrart rush past him into the castle and followed quickly, while Celi and Raven brought up in the rear, keeping Murata in middle.

The Great Wiseman was not incapable of combat, and certainly he could hold his own against the current opponents - the puppets were a little stronger than humans, but they were surprisingly fragile. They fell easily before Conrart's sword, barely slowing his advance through the castle halls, to the point that Wolfram had to jog just to keep up.

"How many of these things did he have made?!" Wolfram complained, shifting his grip on his sword. "There's got to be an end to them, right?"

"Don't count on it," Murata muttered under his breath. 'They are probably repairing continually,' he thought. As they moved further into the castle, the aura of darkness thickened, becoming almost palpable, until even the others had begun to notice, glancing around uneasily in the few spare moments between fighting. 'This isn't just miasma,' Murata thought, his expression tight and strained. 'But at least it should be too weak to infect them. ...I hope.'

Their advanced slowed as they hit the wide intersection in front of the main audience chamber, forced to quickly cover the extra directions. Celi and Wolfram cleared the side passages with twin blasts of flame, buying them a few moments of breathing room, while Raven remained at the rear.

Conrart had headed for the massive double doors with the same unwavering determination, intent on making his way to where he believed Yuri to be. Murata was the only one to notice the way he suddenly froze, his fingertips only lightly touching the ornately carved wood.

Instead of kicking the doors in, as he had done up to that point, Conrart gasped and hunched over. He leaned heavily against the doors, struggling to catch his breath.

"Weller? What's wrong?" Wolfram demanded, moving to his brother's side. "Did your wound reopen?"

Conrart groaned, gritting his teeth as he struggled to say something. Wolfram reached for him, and Murata could see Conrart's body tense in a horribly familiar way while the doors pulsed with a dark power.

He darted forward, his fingers closing desperately around Wolfram's arm, and hauled the other boy back. Just in time - the keening sound of a blade cutting through the air echoed in the sudden silence as Conrart spun and slashed at the place where Wolfram had been standing a moment before.

"Conrart?" Celi whispered as Murata scrambled back further, pulling Wolfram with him.

But Conrart didn't advance or attack again. His entire frame shook as he struggled to hold himself back. "G... get back," he hissed through clenched teeth. "I can't..."

"Lord Weller? What are you doing?" Raven demanded, glancing frantically over his shoulder and trying to keep an eye on their regrouping enemies at the same time.

Unlike the others, their expression showing confusion and horror, Murata felt almost relieved. 'It's not possession,' he thought, grateful for at least that much. 'His mind is still present. That's good...'

"He's being controlled," Murata said shortly, drawing Celi up short as she tried to move toward Conrart. She made the connection with amazing speed, her eyes darting to his stomach, where the strangely shallow wound was concealed.

"...The Wincott poison?" she wondered, immediately finding the most plausible answer - though not the correct one. "But Gisela said she tested for poisons!"

"But not curses," Murata said. "This is the same as the puppets. We have to find and stop the source of this spell. That's our only chance."

That was easier said than done. Glancing behind them, Murata could see that, just as he'd feared, the puppets they had broken were beginning to reassemble and repair. They rose slowly, jerking up in unnatural positions as their limbs twisted around, back into their sockets.

In front of them, Conrart was forced into motion with the same jerking, unnatural movements. Raising his sword, he stood between them and the doors, though from the way his form shook, it was clear he was still trying to fight it off.

He could see their hesitation. "Don't worry... about me," Conrart insisted. "You have to... find His Majesty. They're... beyond these doors. I'm sure of it! Hurry!"

"...Understood," Wolfram said quietly.

He charged suddenly, his sword clashing against Conrad's with a teeth-rattling screech. Despite his older brother's greater bulk, Wolfram managed to force him back and attacked again, keeping the path clear.

Still, Celi's eyes darted to her middle son, fear for him clouding her features. The sight of two of her children fighting was everything she had feared, in that horrible time when Wolfram had traveled with Yuri. To have Conrart return to them and Wolfram begin to accept him, only for them to be forced to fight against their will was simply too cruel.

"Leave this to me! Go!" Wolfram yelled over his shoulder. His eyes met his mother's, both the same shade of deep, brilliant green. Trust me, he tried to convey. Celi's eyes widened, seeing for the first time just how much her youngest had grown. She had always thought he took after his father, but that man had never worn an expression as clear and determined as Wolfram's.

'He's become a splendid young man,' she thought. 'And he'll become even greater in the future...'

"Burn the doors," Murata snapped, his authoritative tone startling Celi into action.

Raising her hand, she called out, "Oh spirits of flame, obey those who defeated the Originators!"

In the hands of one of the Three Great Witches, even the abbreviated incantation called forth a great beast of fire. Those words were more suited than ever to call forth the power to dispel even the unnatural darkness that had polluted the castle.

The flame beast roared and charged ahead, crashing into the doors. For a moment, dark power struggled to repel its assault - as Murata had suspected, the doors had not been locked by any physical means, but rather sealed by magic.

Then, Cecilie the Golden grit her teeth and pushed with all her will. Her beast howled in response. Its claws tore through the enchantment, burning away both the intangible shadows and the thick wood beyond. Even the edges of the surrounding stone wall began to warp slightly under the unbearable heat.

Clouds of hot smoke and dust engulfed them, laced with slivers of wood and debris.

"Let's go!" Murata yelled, covering his mouth and nose with one sleeve. Without waiting for Celi to recover, he pulled her along by one arm. Through the smokescreen, he could hear Raven's heavy footsteps darting forward as well, overtaking them to take point.

In the smoke, light flashed, reflecting off polished metal. Jerked into motion by the dark will that had taken control of his body, Conrart raised his sword and lunged for the nearest opponent. But his attack was blocked by Wolfram, who struggled to hold back the force of it. Sparks flew as their blades clashed, before Wolfram managed to push his brother away.

"That... was good, just now," Conrart told him, smiling painfully.

"I tried putting my weight forward more, like you said," Wolfram replied evenly, his eyes darting to Conrart's midsection. He hoped the wound didn't reopen, or at least that they didn't aggravate it too much. He needed to keep the fight from injuring Conrart even more.

With Conrart in his current state, he actually stood a chance of winning, but not if he held back too much.

Conrart's expression softened, just a little, but also filled with worry and pain. "Wolfram... don't hold back," he said. "Like this, I... could really hurt you... You have to..."

"It'll be alright," Wolfram insisted sharply, holding his sword up again. He tried to smile, though he knew he wasn't like Yuri or Conrart himself. He wasn't any good at comforting or easing someone's heart. "It's alright," he repeated instead. "I trust you."

Conrart shuddered, his body swaying.

"It'll be alright," Wolfram said once more, a sudden, focused calm settling over his heart and his features. "We'll both make it home. Otherwise, that wimp'll definitely cry..."

~.~.~


	38. V-5 For better or for worse

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: All's well that ends well. Now let us never speak of this again.

~.~.~

**Part V, Chapter 5**

_For better or for worse_

~.~.~

The sudden explosion behind them startled both Yuri and Stoffel.

With a surprised yelp, Yuri scrambled away, still keeping clear of the other man, but Stoffel only regarded the sudden burst of flame and the clouds of smoke that followed with detached annoyance.

"Always interfering," he muttered, watching with surprising patience as three figures emerged from the smoke. Even when the features of his most loyal servant were revealed, as well as the sword he brandished with only the barest hint of hesitation, Stoffel didn't react.

Following Raven, Celi and Murata stumbled out, the former sparing one glance back in the direction they had come from, the latter immediately focusing on Yuri as their eyes met. Slowly, Murata moved toward Yuri, circling the tableau the three old friends had become caught in.

"Celi, Raven," Stoffel noted, not even a greeting so much as a disinterested observation. "Why did you return? There's no need for you here."

"Brother..." Celi murmured, looking at him with open concern. All the small details that were off or unnatural about the way he carried himself stood out to her clearly. Something was terribly wrong. Pursing her lips, Celi steeled her resolve and demanded, "Stoffel, what are you doing? Stop this at once!"

"Your Excellency, please come to your senses!" Raven pleaded, moving to support her.

But Stoffel didn't even seem to hear them. "There's no need for you to be here," he repeated, a bitter shadow passing over his expression. "I don't need you. So just leave." He swept one arm out, as if brushing them away, and a wave of magic buffered the pair, sending them sliding back.

"So it's already gone that far," Murata noted, sidling up to Yuri. "He's already able to channel the Originator's power, if only just a little."

Yuri glanced at him, his gaze panicked and a little desperate. "So that's what it's like?" he wondered, swallowing heavily as he looked at Stoffel's form. "How are we going to help him?"

"...I'm not sure we can," Murata said honestly. "We never... found a real way of freeing someone from the Originator's grip, not once they're this far gone."

Curling his hand around Yuri's arm, Murata tried to pull him away, to safety. But Yuri stood rooted to the spot, staring at his friend in shock.

"What... what are you saying? That can't be right!" Yuri protested, his voice rising. Familiar indignation buoyed his floundering spirits, and he felt a surge of angry, stubborn determination. "You're saying we should just... just..." He couldn't even bring himself to say it. "And for that matter, what about the Great One? Are you saying you're just giving up on him too?!"

Murata's fingers tightened almost painfully, digging into his arm. "...I never found any way to help them," he said quietly, his voice strained and barely above a whisper. Yuri couldn't see his expression, but he knew suddenly that, no matter what front he put up, his friend was hurting, had been pained by his failure for a very long time.

"I'm find a way," Yuri declared. "I'll save them from the Originators."

He pulled his arm away from Murata and stepped toward Stoffel, determination in every feature. Watching Yuri's back as his friend advanced, Murata couldn't help a small, desperate flare of hope. 'We couldn't find any better plan,' Murata thought. 'Between the two of us, we couldn't imagine any plan that didn't require a sacrifice. But if it's you... If anyone can do it, it's you...'

"Stoffel!" Yuri called out, his voice resounding with an unexpected strength. "I order you to stop!"

"I can't do that, Your Majesty," Stoffel said, smiling thinly as he turned away from Celi and Raven to face his king. "You're still so young. You just don't understand, but you'll see one day. This is all for the best, for the good of the Demon Kingdom."

"Do you really think I'm just going to go along with you?" Yuri demanded. "I'm the Demon King! I'm the one who bears the responsibility of making those decisions!"

'The king is the one who leads the country and guides all its people!' Wolfram had declared in Francia, and Yuri agreed with him. For better or for worse, he was the one who had been crowned Demon King.

Stoffel's expression was cool, almost disappointed and dismissive, but it was the first time that his eyes had really focused on Yuri, truly seeing him.

"You say that now, but you're just a child," Stoffel said, his voice calm and reasoning as if he was explaining a simple, if sad fact of life. "Soon, you'll realize how heavy that burden is. You'll grow weary of it, you'll wish to escape it. I'm only saving everyone from enduring that difficult process."

"That's not-" '-for you to decide,' Yuri tried to shout, but his protests were cut off by Celi.

"I'm sorry, Stoffel," she said quietly, but firmly. "This is my fault. I wasn't ready to be Demon Queen. I didn't take it seriously enough, then tried to run from my responsibilities by foisting them on you. I was wrong."

Stoffel stared at her, his brow furrowing in something like confusion and disbelief. "Wrong?" he repeated quietly. "Of course not. Everyone's expectations were unreasonable. You were just unsuited to the task. That's why I..."

"But you're wrong too," Celi continued, her expression softening. "I know you're trying to do the best you know, but this isn't what needs to be done. This isn't what the Demon Kingdom needs. And that's why I... will stop you, Stoffel."

She raised one hand, her fire magic already gathering in the palm. Stoffel mirrored the movement, drawing on his own magic, rather than the Originators' dark power.

It was all wrong. Siblings, fighting each other...

"Stop!" Yuri yelled. Heedless of the danger, he ran between them, throwing up both arms in an attempt to halt the two siblings.

"Shibuya!" Murata yelled, reacting a moment too late to stop Yuri.

Twin bursts of flame converged on Yuri, colliding in a massive explosion that sent the participants and the spectators alike sliding back, their arms raised to shield their faces. But the bright light quickly changed in nature, from the hot crimson of fire magic to the cool blue of pure power.

Yuri's aura burst outward, dissipating the flames, to reveal his unharmed figure standing between Celi and Stoffel. Yuri raised his head, waves of pure magic buffering his hair and clothing, to regard the pair a narrow, judging gaze.

"For two siblings, who love each other so much, to do battle is unseemly," the Demon King pronounced. "But what is truly unforgivable, is the darkness that forces you to face each other across the battlefield."

His sharp eyes snapped to Stoffel, seeming to look past him, to the shadows that had taken over his mind and body. Slowly, the Demon King turned to face his wayward vassal and began to advance.

"Your Majesty..." Celi whispered, watching his back with mixed fear and hope. Raven's hands tightened, where they rested on her shoulders.

Stoffel stared at his king's approaching form with something like confusion. Frowning, he cocked his head as if listening to something only he could hear. "Yes, of course," Stoffel murmured. "That power is just what is needed. Yes, that power..."

His voice changed, deepening in an unsettling way, as a dark aura surged around him. He reached out one grasping hand.

"That power... give it to us," something said through Stoffel.

'It's the same as before,' Yuri thought, his eyes narrowing. But this time, he didn't back away or try to run. Steadily, he walked closer, gathering his will and his magic.

Watching him, Murata couldn't help but think, 'Shibuya, you're going to do something stupid again, aren't you? But I've already decided to believe in you. All I can do is support you.' Reaching into himself, he let his magic synchronize with Yuri's, amplifying it.

'It's only possible to resist being taken over, not to fight it off once it's inside. That's what Murata said about the miasma. This should be the same,' Yuri mused. 'I'm sure of it. This darkness is... a darkness of the heart, not something physical or even magic in nature. The moment it reaches for me - that'll be the opening I need...'

He didn't hesitate, taking Stoffel's hand in his own.

Shadows surged, engulfing them both.

~.~.~

The darkness was deep, impossibly, unknowably so. It had no limit. Nothing existed, except its all-encompassing depth. It almost seemed to become a physical weight that threatened to crush Yuri, like the bottom of the sea.

The blue pendant flared, its light shining through even under his jacket, and Yuri opened his eyes.

'What am I thinking?' he wondered. 'Is this how everyone loses their way?'

Something whispered cruel words, far in the darkness, but now Yuri could see its shape. It was just a shallow pool, a trickle squeezing through a tiny gap. It tried to reach for him, but its tendrils were thin and insubstantial.

"Begone," the Demon King ordered, sweeping out one hand filled with power. This much, he could do easily.

His bright magic tore through the shadows, scattering and dispersing them just as he had done with the flames.

Opening his eyes, Yuri squeezed Stoffel's hand and let his magic flow through the other man. Stoffel's wide blue eyes met his, before the Lord Von Spitzweg swayed and collapsed.

Suddenly, Yuri's knees gave out under him, and he slid to the floor as well. His hands were shaking, and his breath was strangely short.

"Shibuya," Murata murmured, laying one hand on Yuri's shoulder. Yuri hadn't even noticed him move. Nearby, he glimpsed the golden form of Celi, again the backdrop of Raven's dark shape. He thought they were saying something, but their voices were indistinct.

The room swam alarmingly, and Yuri had to struggle to stay awake.

"It's alright, Shibuya," Murata said quietly. "You just used too much of your magic. But you did it. I can feel it. The darkness is gone."

Swallowing heavily, Yuri shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "It's not gone at all, not really. I hadn't realized... how deep it is. It was just a fragment, but this was all I could do."

Murata's gaze was understanding as he regarded Yuri.

"How did you ever fight that?" Yuri wondered. "Just one glimpse, and I'm like this..." Lowering his head, he tried to take deep breaths.

"Overwhelming fear," Murata noted, almost clinically. "That's just one of the Originator's tactics. You'll be alright, Shibuya. It'll pass soon."

Murata was right. Yuri could already feel the steel bands of terror around his heart begin to ease and warmth slowly seep back into his limbs. He hadn't even realized that the darkness had affected him after all, just by its proximity.

He turned to Murata, another question on his lips, but his friend shook his head. Through the broken doorway, Wolfram and Conrart had limped in, the latter leaning heavily on the former, but stubbornly refusing to wait any longer before checking on their king.

"Your Majesty..." Conrart murmured, smiling as his eyes met Yuri's.

"Conrad! What happened?" Yuri demanded, his eyes widening at the state of the man.

"It's nothing," Conrart assured him, tension seeping out of his form. "I'm just glad that you're alright."

Yuri didn't look convinced, but he let it go for now. Turning instead to Celi and Raven, he asked, "How's Stoffel?"

"I don't know. He's alive, but..." Celi said, cradling her brother's prone body in her lap. "I don't know if he's..."

"It's gone," Murata assured her. "Shibuya burned it out. He just needs to rest." 'Impressive, I think even the miasma effects are gone,' he noted. 'That's Shibuya for you, I guess.'

His words seemed too good to be true. Celi stared at him in disbelief before drawing a shuddering breath. "That goodness," she murmured. "I'm so glad. Oh, brother..."

Next to her, Raven gently helped to lift Stoffel, while Murata pulled Yuri to his feet and held him up when he swayed.

"Come on, let's get out of here," he said. "Upsy-daisy!"

"You sound like an old man," Yuri grumbled. He groaned as everything lurched. "Is this what Wolf feels like on boats? Urgh, I'm gonna be sick."

"Don't be like that," Murata said far too brightly as their limping procession began to move. "All's well that ends well, right?"

But Yuri couldn't help but wonder if it really was all well. The tight coil of worry in his gut hadn't eased, and he couldn't forget the deep, deep darkness he had glimpsed.

This wasn't the end at all.

~.~.~

"I think he's coming to," a familiar calm voice said softly.

"Brother? Can you hear me?" an equally familiar woman's voice called out.

Stoffel groaned, forcing his eyes to open. "...Cecilie? Raven?" he croaked.

Instantly, he found himself engulfed in a smothering embrace. Celi's delicate arms wrapped around him with a surprising strength, and he felt her warmth seep into his sluggish body. Gingerly, Stoffel patted her golden curls. They were strangely tangled. It was unlike her.

"What happened?" Stoffel wondered, squinting against the too-bright light to peer up at the stone ceiling.

Celi and Raven exchanged an unreadable look as she drew back. It set Stoffel's nerves on edge. Something was wrong, he realized, the last vestiges of sleep quickly clearing away.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Celi asked.

Stoffel had to think for a moment, a fact that made his unease grown. "I tried to arrange a meeting with His Majesty," he said. "But he had departed for that... peace conference." His expression twisted in distaste.

"And after that?" Celi prodded, watching him with clear concern.

Rubbing at his bread - far too thick and scruffy for his taste - Stoffel tried to remember. He had been so angry and so frustrated. "I visited to the Tomb of the Great One," he said slowly. "The guards tried to bar me entry, but I insisted. I offered my prayers in the grand chamber and..."

He shook his head. Everything after was blank.

"I see," Celi murmured. Again, she and Raven exchanged a heavy look.

"Enough, Cecilie, Raven," Stoffel said sharply. "Tell me what has happened, now!"

"Your Excellency... at the Tomb of the Great One, you unfortunately came into contact with miasma leaking from the Forbidden Boxes," Raven spoke up, bowing his head. "You became... influenced by it and forced everyone to leave Spitzweg Castle. His Majesty and your nephews were able to... purify it out and brought you back to the capital to recover."

It took Stoffel several moments to fully understand what his aide was saying. "I see," he murmured finally, running a hand over his face. "What a disgrace... Chasing everyone out of the castle? Yes, it's coming back a little. What was I thinking?"

'They can't be trusted. They're lying to me. That's what I thought. How foolish,' Stoffel thought, sighing. 'Even Raven...'

"I can only imagine what the other Ten Aristocrats will have to say about this. I just hope His Majesty forgives me for the trouble I must have caused," he said, turning to exchange a look with Raven. His vassal gave a shallow bow, easily understanding what Stoffel wanted.

"Lord Von Voltaire and Lord Von Crist are both aware of the situation, but the others have not been notified. I have already given orders for the staff to return," Raven relayed. "A suitable explanation can be provided at your discretion. As for His Majesty, he wished to convey his well-wishes and hopes for your swift recovery."

"His Majesty really is too kind," Stoffel said, smiling widely. "I'll have to thank him personally, of course!"

Strangely, his words made a shadow pass over Celi's expression.

"...Maybe another time," Celi said quietly. She smiled, clapping her hands together. "For now, let's head home! I'll make you some of my famous herbal tea. Ah, you didn't let my garden wither, did you?"

"You're coming too, Cecilie?" Stoffel asked in surprise. "You don't need to worry. I've got Raven. He can manage things."

"It's fine!" Celi insisted. "I've been thinking of going home for a while. It's been a long time since I've seen the castle. I've missed it... more than I ever expected to. I'll help you deal with the rumors and the other nobles." She had always been better at that than Stoffel. Her eyes softened. "You can count on me, I promise."

It was strange to see his flighty little sister look so sincere. There was a steel in her gaze he hadn't seen before. Stoffel could only stare, uncertain what to make of Celi's new determination.

As Stoffel watched, Raven reached out and gently grasped Celi's hand. "...We will be happy to have you, Lady Cecilie," he said.

Their eyes met, and they seemed to forget everything around them. It was annoyingly familiar, and Stoffel found himself making the same sort of face he had made as a child. It was also oddly nostalgic.

"I suppose it will be nice to have all three of us home together again," he mused to himself, "I have missed those days."

Celi and Raven had turned to smile at him. They nodded. 'We'll do it right this time,' Celi thought. 'This time, we're in this together.'

~.~.~


	39. VI-1 Head over heels

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri and Murata consider taking a trip. Gunter disapproves... excessively.

~.~.~

**Part VI, Chapter 1**

_Head over heels_

~.~.~

Groaning, Yuri let his head fall with a dull thump onto the thick tome he had been looking through.

"I've been wondering for a while, Shibuya," Murata commented without looking up from his own manuscript, "but do you even understand any of what you're reading?"

"No? I'm just looking for any of the words you wrote out for me," Yuri mumbled into the dry pages. They smelled faintly moldy.

"I mean, can you even understand any of the symbols? Or are they just scribbles to you? Since these books are all hand-written, the cursive will have a lot of variation," Murata explained, turning a page.

Yuri waved one hand vaguely, not even lifting his head. "Gunter's taught me the alphabet," he said. "I can sound out the stuff you wrote, although I don't know what most of it means. I only know 'other world' and 'gateway' and 'spiritual plane.'"

"That's kind of a weird combination," Murata noted absently.

"It came up in the novel Wolf lent me," Yuri said, finally propping his head up with one hand.

This time, Murata did look up, his eyebrows rising in a rather insulting way. "You're that far along? Lord Von Crist must be an amazing teacher," he commented.

Yuri scowled and turned away with a huff. "Not really. He keeps turning red and... wiggling whenever I try to ask him for help with the book. Something about being so honored and his unworthy drabbles," Yuri complained.

Hiding a smile behind the book he had been reading, Murata thought, 'Oh, I see. That must be the book Lord Von Crist wrote himself. It was the hottest gossip topic among the shrine maidens for a while...'

"But he's really good at this paperwork and researching stuff," Yuri admitted. "Why don't we ask him for help?"

"In his copious free time?" Murata said, amazingly keeping his tone completely free of sarcasm. "He already runs half the kingdom for you." While Gwendal ran the other half.

Sulking, Yuri turned away. "Well, we're not getting anywhere on our own," he said. "Besides, weren't you around when they wrote most of these?"

"It's not like I remember everything that happened in all my past lives completely perfectly," Murata muttered, his eyes narrowing.

"I guess old people often have memory problems," Yuri sniped, getting his revenge.

Scowling, Murata snapped shut the book he had been reading. His show of indignation was somewhat ruined when he choked on the cloud of dust released.

"Maybe we should get help," Murata agreed. "We can try asking Ulrike. She might have some insight."

Yuri supported that notion. Anything to get out of the Tomb's musty archives.

~.~.~

"Operating the gateway between worlds?" Ulrike repeated, peering up at them both. She had met them in the Tomb courtyard as soon as Murata had sent for her. Yuri wondered guiltily if they had pulled her away from some other duties – or perhaps from some well-deserved rest. She looked pale, more so than usual.

"Earhart Wincott had his younger brother Crystel take the last Box, the Bottom of the Mirror, to Earth," Murata explained. "Last I checked, it was still under the protection of the Demon Tribe on the other side. We need to retrieve it. Without all four Boxes, we won't be able to reinforce the seal."

Yuri shot his friend a quick look, thankfully unnoticed by Ulrike as she considered their question. 'Reinforcing the seal? Is that what we're doing?' Yuri thought, frowning. Murata's usual smile provided no insight into what was going through his mind.

"To be honest, I've only operated the gateway successfully twice," Ulrike admitted, drooping under the shame of her perceived failing. "To send Lord Weller to the other world and to bring him home. On the way back, the Demon Tribe of Earth initiated it from their end, and we simply guided Lord Weller to arrive here. On the way there…" She wrung her hands nervously. "He said it was a rather rough arrival."

Murata nodded thoughtfully, as if this all meant a great deal to him. "That's what I expected," he muttered.

"…I don't get it," Yuri said, making Murata sigh.

"I already explained it to you, Shibuya," he complained. "Remember? The problem isn't actually opening the gate, though that does take a lot of power and some preparation. It's... navigation. We need someone on the other side to guide us there. Like I said before, we only made it here because Ulrike was praying almost constantly, and we happened to catch her at the right time. We lucked out."

The priestess blushed as Murata gave her a warm smile. Yuri grinned too, but it faded into a look of confusion. "But then how did Conrad get to Earth? I mean, did they coordinate it somehow? Can't we do it too?"

Murata and Ulrike exchanged a look, and Yuri realized they were trying to figure out how to put it in terms he would understand. "The Great One's existence is different from a living being," Murata finally said. "So he doesn't have the same limits. What we're talking about is what would be required for us to operate the gateway successfully."

'That's… unhelpful,' Yuri thought grouchily.

"I'm sorry I can't help you any further," Ulrike apologized.

"It's alright. There isn't any reason for you to know about this sort of thing," Murata assured her. Something seemed to occur to him. "But Ondine might know. Do you know what happened to her?"

"Ondine?" Yuri repeated.

"My predecessor," Ulrike said. "She went home, back to the lake, after she passed the mantle to me."

"We might need to go visit her," Murata decided. "If I remember correctly, the Great One gave her some assignment relating to traveling between the two worlds. She studied it extensively."

"A trip to visit a lake? Sounds nice," Yuri mused. "I could use a break from all the paperwork."

"All the paperwork you keep dumping on Lord Von Crist and Lord Von Voltaire?" Murata muttered.

~.~.~

Paperwork had overtaken Gwendal's usually neat and orderly office. Towering stacks perched not only on his massive desk, but also on the side table and across the floor. They were even beginning to edge out his collection of knitted stuffed animals.

Gwendal had been slaving away at filing it all since early morning, but it felt like he had barely made a dent. He eyed the slightly shorter stacks in front of him – the only product of his hard work.

"Are you listening to me, Gwendal? It's terrible, terrible I tell you!" Gunter insisted, leaning over the shortened paper piles.

"I heard you the first time," Gwendal grumbled.

"His Majesty wants to leave us!" Gunter continued, as if he hadn't heard his response. "His Majesty and His Eminence have been combing the library for books about traveling between worlds! They've even gone to the Tomb archive for more information!"

"Instead of listening to the maids gossip, how about doing your work?" Gwendal said, refusing to look up from the form he was filling out. "Since His Majesty is so preoccupied, you'll need to put in at least five extra hours to cover his slack."

"How can you worry about paperwork at a time like this?!" Gunter wailed overdramatically. "What if His Majesty leaves us to return to his original world? What'll we do?! Your Majesty, don't forsaken your faithful servant!"

"We'll deal with it," Gwendal said, carefully dipping his pen into the inkwell. "I suppose we can pass the extra extra work on Conrart, since he'll have plenty of free time." Gwendal paused thoughtfully and muttered, "Hm, maybe I can do that now? After all, it's not like he follow the brat to the library or to the Tomb…"

"You're heartless!" Gunter declared. Sobbing, he burst from the room and disappeared in search of other sources of commiseration.

Gwendal cursed as the resulting gust of wind sent papers flying everywhere.

Gunter found that cold-hearted man's two brothers in the courtyard. They were wrapping up their daily sparring, which had become something of a regular entertainment for the staff. Gunter fell in with the maids watching from the surrounding open corridors.

Wolfram still had a long way to go, and it was clear that Conrart was easily keeping him at bay, occasionally offering a comment or suggestion. That wasn't necessarily a correct indication of Wolfram's skill, however – Conrart was truly the greatest swordsman of the Demon Kingdom, and Gunter felt a swell of pride at his once student.

Finally, Wolfram called an end to their training, immediately slumping and gasping for breath.

"If nothing else, my stamina's certainly going to improve," he grumbled and wiped at the sweat pouring down his face. A particularly brave maid offered him a towel. When Wolfram smiled in thanks and flipped his hair, she swooned.

"Your swordsmanship is improving too," Conrart assured him. He looked infuriatingly unruffled by their sparring, perhaps breathing a touch more heavily, but nothing more. Still, Wolfram was willing to accept even that small victory.

"Indeed!" Gunter agreed, coming up to the two. "You're grown so much, Lord Von Bielefelt!" 'Who would have thought that selfish brat could come this far,' he thought. 'Ah, His Majesty's influence is simply astounding!'

Wolfram shrugged, but it was clear he felt quite pleased by the praise.

"He's sure to surpass me in no time," Conrart teased. "And then he'll set his sights on you, Gunter."

"We both know you passed me long ago, as far as swordsmanship is concerned," Gunter said, shaking his head. 'Your problem was getting weighed down by your feelings,' he thought. 'But I'm sure if we dueled again, I would be the one to lose. The way you are now, you would win.'

From the way Conrart's eyes crinkled at the corners and his smile widened just a little, it was clear he was thinking of the same incident - their duel at the military academy, so long ago - and how things had changed since then.

"I seek only to serve His Majesty," Conrart demurred. "That is what I live for."

Normally, those words would have warmed Gunter's heart, but now they simply reminded him of the terrible state of things.

"Oh, Your Majesty!" Gunter wailed, bursting into tears again as Wolfram and Conrart stared in surprise. "Can't you see how your loyal servants depend on you? You mustn't leave us! We would be lost without you!"

"What's wrong with you? Pull yourself together!" Wolfram barked, unnerved by Gunter's sudden histrionics.

"You're heartless too! Just like your brother! How can you be so calm while His Majesty moves ever closer to leaving us?" Gunter sobbed.

"What are you talking about?" Wolfram demanded, his very limited patience stretched to the limit.

"Oh, I see," Conrart murmured, one hand rising to his chin. "You mean the research His Majesty and His Eminence have been conducting, about traveling between worlds."

"Yuri's trying to find out how to travel between worlds?" Wolfram repeated, momentarily thrown.

Gunter's sobs grew even louder. "He's leaving us!"

Wolfram shrugged, scowling. "So? He'll be back. He chose to come here in the first place! And... of course he wants to go back for a while." While visiting his uncle, Wolfram had tried and tried to imagine what it would be like to never be able to return to your childhood home. To be an entire world away, from your friends, from your family, from everything you knew. It was a terrifying thought, if he was honest.

"Ah... His Majesty did mention he was lured in by a puppet bearing his mother's visage," Gunter murmured, pausing in his melodramatics. "Had seeing his mother's face brought forth all his feelings of longing? His Majesty is still so young. He must miss his parents so much! Your Majesty! I am so sorry for not considering your feelings!"

Wolfram rolled his eyes at this new direction.

"As Wolfram said, I'm sure His Majesty will always return to us," Conrart said, his smile fond. "Besides which, I believe His Majesty's goal is to retrieve the fourth Box, which His Eminence believes to be on Earth."

"So he's still thinking about the kingdom first," Wolfram muttered with an annoyed sigh. "Typical. That wimp."

"That's the way our king is. But I'm sure that seeing his family again will greatly ease his heart," Conrart said.

"Ah, Your Majesty!" Gunter flailed.

~.~.~

Breathing a deep sigh of relief, both Murata and Ulrike lowered their outstretched arms.

"This should be enough to contain it for a while," Murata decided, nodding to himself as he inspected the faintly glowing barrier they had created around the three Boxes.

It rippled as the dark power beyond pressed against its cage.

Moving to Ulrike's side, he gently steadied the tiny priestess. "How are you holding up?" he asked.

Ulrike offered him a tired smile. "I'm alright, Your Eminence. With this barrier, I'll be able to rest a little, even if you and His Majesty leave for awhile," she said.

"I'm not looking forward to explaining that to Lord Von Voltaire," Murata muttered. "I should make Shibuya do it. Let him get glared at. He deserves it."

That earned him a quiet giggle, as Ulrike made a cupping gesture with her hands. A pedestal made of black stone rose seamlessly from the floor, a large opaque orb floating above it. Lights danced inside of it, like tiny stars.

"The flow of the spirits doesn't appear to have been disturbed," she reported, peering at something inside the sphere that only she could see. "That means there should be no deterioration from spiritual dissonance. I believe the spirits may even bolster this barrier a little... What amazing work, Your Eminence!"

Murata couldn't help preening a little under her praise. It was so nice to be appreciated by someone who actually understood what he had done. "It's all about how you set up the flow of particles..." he began, only to trail off as Ulrike's brow furrowed in confusion. She was peering deeper into the crystal ball, something catching her attention.

"...That's strange," she murmured. "How is that possible?"

"What is it?" Murata asked, moving to look into the orb over her shoulder.

"Look, that soul there," Ulrike said, pointing to a bright star just a little off to one side. "It just suddenly appeared. I'm sure I've never seen it before, but how can that be possible? Even souls between lives do not disappear and reappear so completely."

Murata was silent, staring at the tiny light. "Ulrike, that next to it, that's Ondine, isn't it?" he said suddenly.

Her eyes widening, Ulrike glanced at the softly pulsing, muted star next to their aberration. It was, she realized, indeed the soul of her predecessor.

~.~.~

A knock on his door made Gwendal look up from his work with a fearsome scowl. "Yes, what is it?" he snapped. His eyes narrowed as Murata's dark-clothed figure slipped, shutting the door behind him.

With the afternoon light reflecting off the Wiseman's glasses, his expression was almost completely obscured, but Gwendal knew this couldn't be anything good.

"If you're here to tell that you and the king need to take off for a while," he said preemptively, "then I've already begun to make arrangements. However, I respectfully demand that he at least come to tell me himself." 'He should at least suffer some consequences,' Gwendal thought.

Murata shook his head. He at least had the courtesy of not trying his smiling mask on Gwendal. Instead, he said shortly, "There's something I need you to investigate."

Gwendal's eyes narrowed, and he set aside his pen.

"You're going to have to give me a bit more information than that," Gwendal noted dryly.

Murata smiled crookedly. "Just look for someone who's completely out of place, like they just suddenly appeared."

"And the location?" Gwendal asked, raising an eyebrow at the Wiseman's evasive manner.

"Here in the Demon Kingdom," Murata replied. "At a certain lake."

~.~.~

((This is where we begin the slide toward the ending and aaangst. Also, this is the point where I really got tired of writing this story, which probably shows in the deteriorating quality. The execution really suffered. Sorry about that.))


	40. VI-2 You and I

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri and friends go on a trip to a lake. It's not very relaxing.

~.~.~

**Part VI, Chapter 2**

_You and I_

~.~.~

"Murata and I are going on a trip," Yuri announced cheerfully.

There was a moment of silence. Then, Gunter burst into tears.

"So you figured it out already?" Wolfram said over the sound of Gunter's sobs. "Naturally, I'll be coming with you. Weller too." Smiling, Conrart nodded.

"Sure, the more, the merrier," Yuri agreed. "But what did we figure out?"

"So that's your plan! That's why you were so calm!" Gunter accused. "You weren't planning on being separated from His Majesty from the start!"

"Of course! There's no telling where the last Box is or who might be guarding it!" Wolfram pointed out haughtily. "Not to mention that someone has to come along to keep Yuri in from doing something stupid. And I guess Weller has some experience with the other world, so he might be helpful too." The last was added almost as an afterthought, though no one was fooled.

"The last Box? Why are you bringing that up?" Yuri wondered.

Hiding a smile, Murata pushed up his glasses. "You're severely overestimating our research skills," he said. "Shibuya and I are still a long way from figuring out a way back to Earth. The place we're going is actually the home of the Lake Shore tribe."

Taken by surprise, both Wolfram and Gunter fell silent. They had both been quite sure in their assumptions.

"Oh, Your Majesty!" Gunter exclaimed, throwing himself at Yuri. "I'm so glad you'll be with us for some time yet!"

"Hmph. Well, I'm still coming," Wolfram said, rallying himself and crossing his arms.

Conrart's eyes darted to Gwendal thoughtfully, though his expression gave nothing away. "Josak mentioned he was heading to that area," Conrart noted, smiling blandly. "Perhaps we can meet up with him there."

Extricating himself from Gunter's octopus-like embrace, Yuri turned to peer at Conrart. It took Murata a moment to realize that Yuri was mentally comparing his expression to the sort he had worn while telling them that this time would be great to escape, not that he, a loyal soldier of Cimaron, would ever suggest such a thing.

'Damn Gurrier,' Gwendal thought, feeling a headache coming on. 'Why is he so good at everything except keeping his mouth shut?'

Murata's eyes met his, and Gwendal scowled at the message he could read in the Great Wiseman's gaze even before his eyes flickered to Yuri meaningfully.

'Tell the king? Ridiculous,' Gwendal grumbled mentally. What good could it possibly do? The boy would run off half-cocked, as always, and do something terribly rash.

But what other choice was there? Keep him in the dark? He would inevitably find out once they reached the lake. And it's not as if Gwendal could stop him from going. Even if Gwendal insisted on going as well, there was little chance of hiding things from Yuri. The situation at Van Da Via was a clear example.

Better to just get it out there and try to deal with fall out now. Perhaps he could try to mitigate the fallout and curb Yuri's more... wild responses.

Sighing, Gwendal announced, "I sent Josak there after Lady Ulrike reported a powerful soul suddenly appearing in the area."

Seeing Wolfram and Yuri exchange a blank look, Murata explained quietly, "Ulrike is able to track the movements of powerful members of the Demon Tribe, in particular the Demon Kings, past, present and future. She was very surprised when a powerful soul just suddenly appeared without warning."

Gwendal held up the short missive. "The Lake Shore people are very isolated and secretive, but according to Josak's report there have been rumors... of a double-black appearing out of the lake."

"Double-black?" Yuri repeated. "Like me and Murata? ...We haven't snuck out or anything, I swear!"

Gwendal sighed.

"A powerful double-black, appearing out of thin air - or out of the water, I guess," Wolfram mused. Shooting Yuri a look, he thought, 'Doesn't that sound sort of familiar?'

Conrart's eyes narrowed as he regarded Gwendal thoughtfully. "You believe that this person may have traveled here from Earth," he deduced.

"I believe that it would be very tempting bait," Gwendal said cynically, "which has already proven effective in the past. Josak also mentioned that this mysterious double-black is said to have come with a large wooden box in tow."

"Then... somebody brought the Bottom of the Mirror to this world?" Yuri wondered.

"That's too convenient!" Wolfram burst out.

"That's exactly the problem," Gwendal agreed.

"We should go check it out," Yuri decided, making both brothers twitch in irritation.

'I knew he'd say that,' Gwendal thought, closing his eyes and trying to will away his growing headache.

He also knew that Yuri would be getting his way, no matter how much or how little Gwendal approved. Why had he ever wished for a strong-willed, determined king?

~.~.~

The forest was about three days' ride from the castle, located on the frontier. Which presented something of a problem, since Yuri still hadn't gotten very far in his horseback riding lessons, and there was no point in taking a carriage, since the terrain was far too rough for it.

With him riding double behind Conrart, the trip took quite a bit longer. Of course, their unscheduled detours extended the trip far more.

"This really is the middle of nowhere," Wolfram grumbled, after they had finally turned off the main highway and traveled down an almost invisible trail through the surrounding desert. "I'm not even sure which territory we're in."

"Wow, the Demon Kingdom is so amazing!" Yuri marveled. "Who would have expected it to have a Wild West section too? And that town was really like something out of a western movie!"

"Aren't we headed to a lake?" Wolfram wondered. "There aren't even any rivers here."

"The spirits of nature are still abundant in these lands," Murata commented. "It's good to see that the covenant is being preserved even out here on the edge of the kingdom."

"What nature spirits? It's a desert," Wolfram pointed out.

"Our kingdom has many wonderful sights," Conrart agreed, "and I hope you have the chance to see them all one day, Sire."

"How is this a wonderful sight?" Wolfram muttered.

"It's Yuri," the boy behind Conrart insisted, taking the opportunity to pinch him in the ribs. It tickled more than it hurt, and Conrart shook a little as he tried to muffle a chuckle. "Anyway," Yuri continued, "I hope so too. I still have so much to learn about the Demon Kingdom... I know! How about we go on a nationwide tour, after we deal with the Boxes?"

"I will follow you wherever you choose to go, Yuri," Conrart assured him.

"Stop practicing your lady killer smile on me," Yuri grumbled.

"Have fun," Wolfram muttered. He added, "Don't forget to visit the Von Bielefelt territory. We'll show you all the best of the Demon Kingdom, far better than some dusty desert." He beamed with pride.

They rode for a little while longer, the sun blazing down on them, bright enough that Yuri became quite grateful for the hooded cloak Conrart had given him. Finally, Murata glanced up, peering into the horizon.

"There it is," he said, pointing to a faint shadow shimmering in the heat haze. "That's the lake."

Wolfram and Yuri both stared in surprise as they got closer. The change was sudden and almost unnatural. What had been desert suddenly became a thick, lush forest. As they moved into the shade of the trees, the temperature seemed to drop sharply, and they were left blinking against the darkness.

"How is this possible?" Wolfram asked, looking around with a frown.

"Magic?" Yuri suggested, breathing deeply of the cool, fresh air.

Murata nodded. "That's right. This is the home of the Lake Shore tribe, and they use their magic to cultivate this land. Before they settled here, it was a barren wasteland."

"They must have some pretty powerful magic," Yuri said.

"If I remember correctly, they chose this place because it had a large deposit of demon stones," Murata said, shrugging. "They used them to purify the land, together with the Wincott family."

"So we're in the Von Wincott territory," Wolfram noted, nodding to himself. "We must have gone north, over the border from the Von Crist lands..." He glanced at Conrart. 'Must be pretty close to Luttenberg, actually...'

"The Wincott family, huh?" Yuri muttered, before sneezing. He had been glad to get out of the heat, but now he was starting to miss the warm sunlight. Shivering a little, he moved closer to Conrart. "It's kind of cold here, with all the shade. There's even fog..."

Conrart's eyes narrowed as he looked around the forest, where mist was seeping from among the trees. It grew thicker as they traveled, and pretty soon little could be seen beyond the first row of trunks.

His eyes met Murata's, and the Wiseman nodded. "This fog isn't natural," Murata said quietly, moving his horse closer to Wolfram's. "Don't get separated."

Unfortunately, none of them were much good at following orders.

The attack came swiftly and silently. Conrart noticed the shadows among the trees only a instance before they moved, dashing at the three horses and four Demon Tribesmen. Yanking the reins sharply, he managed to pull their steed aside, simultaneously drawing his sword to deflect a dagger slash.

Wolfram's and Murata's horses reared, neighing loudly and breaking out into a sudden gallop. Rather than their riders, they had been the ones targeted by the mysterious assailants.

"Wolfram! Murata!" Yuri yelled, looking desperately at the disappearing figures of his friends. However, there was nothing he could do but cling to Conrart.

Their attackers, clad in concealing white cloaks, drew back out of Conrart's range. They seemed to exchange some invisible signals and as one backed away further, soon disappearing into the thick mist. Everything was suddenly silent again, leaving only the pounding of his heart in Yuri's ears.

"What should we do?" Yuri whispered.

"We need to regroup," Conrart answered quietly, his eyes still scanning for any sign of movement. "For now, let's dismount and go on foot. Don't worry. We'll find the others."

Yuri nodded, steeling his nerves as Conrart quickly slipped off the horse and helped him down. Conrart regarded their steed for a moment, then shook his head and tied the reins to a nearby tree. Yuri couldn't ride alone, and Conrart doubted they would have time to both mount if they needed a quick getaway. In any case, he suspected that the forest would soon become too thick for the horse to travel through easily.

'Even though the fog is this thick, I'm not sure any illusion will work,' Yuri thought. 'I can almost feel them watching us. At a time like this, having true sight or scrying would be much more useful...'

Unfortunately, he had never been particularly good at that branch of magic.

Pulling his hood further down, Yuri pressed close to Conrart as they followed the tracks left behind by Murata's and Wolfram's runaway mounts.

~.~.~

As Yuri and Conrart would soon discover, the other two Demon Tribesmen had not gone far before being forcefully dismounted.

Momentarily stunned and winded, they had been left easy prey for the masked, robed assailants and were quickly captured. Catching Wolfram's gaze, Murata shook his head sharply to stop him from fighting further. They were clearly outnumbered, and Wolfram had already lost his sword.

'These are the Lake Shore people. They were always isolationist, so I suppose it's no surprise they wouldn't take well to trespassers,' Murata thought. 'But unless things have really changed, they probably won't hurt us. If we're lucky, they'll take us to see Ondine, and we can clear all this up...'

Wolfram scowled viciously, but refrained from struggling too much even when one of the robed figures tossed him over one shoulder and, with his companion doing the same to Murata, took off into the trees.

A short, bumpy ride later, they arrived at their destination - a village in the trees. But rather than take them up to one of the houses, built among the branches of the massive, ancient trees, their cloaked bearers dumped the Demon Tribesmen onto a wide, open area, seemingly designed for some ritual, with a complex circle fashioned in its center.

The white-cloaked figures moved away, some remaining behind as guards, but surprisingly, Murata and Wolfram were not left entirely alone. Another prisoner was dragged into the circle. Despite wearing the same white robes as the others, it was clear he didn't belong to the Lake Shore tribe.

Looking up at them, he grinned wryly.

"So they caught you too," Josak commented. "This certainly isn't going too well."

Murata shrugged, smiling sheepishly, but Wolfram glared. "What about you? How did you manage to get caught? I thought you were supposed to be good at this!"

Josak pouted, a terrifying expression completely unsuited to his features. "I don't get it either. I did everything right, but it's like that double-black's got some way of telling that I'm not one of them," he protested.

'That sounds almost like...' Murata thought, his eyes narrowing.

A commotion among their guards made all of them fall silent, tense and waiting. Suddenly, the villagers broke ranks, parting hesitantly but deferentially before a young man who was clearly not one of them.

Looking down at the bound Demon Tribesmen, he frowned and pushed back the hood of his cloak.

Wolfram's eyes widened at the sight of black hair and black eyes, so much like Yuri's, but Josak's more calculating gaze noted that this man shared many more features with their king than just his double-black colors. His expression, forbidding and judgmental, was completely different from Yuri's, but the curve of the face, the shape of the eyes were the same. Their resemblance was subtle, but far exceeded that between Murata and Yuri.

The recognition in Murata's eyes was also clear.

"Hello, older brother of my friend," Murata greeted the young man, smiling disarmingly.

But something about the words seemed to anger the other double-black, and his severe gaze narrowed further.

"Don't assume you have the right to call me that any longer," he said coldly, as if passing down judgment on some great crime. For a moment, his resemblance to the Demon King was clear.

Murata sighed. "I can imagine why you're angry, but let's just be clear - I didn't make Shibuya do anything he didn't want to," he said. Seeing the unabating dark look at was still directed at him, Murata sighed again. "Can you at least call Ondine? Do we can clear this up before Shibuya does something stupid?"

"Ondine is otherwise occupied," the other double-black snapped. "And I'll get Yuri myself."

Turning sharply, he stalked away, his hurried pace just short of a jog and at odds with cool, composed disposition.

"Wait, Lord Shori!" one of the lake people called out, moving hesitantly as if to stop him. "The other trespassers..."

"I'll handle this," Shori said over his shoulder. "Meanwhile, have someone report to Ondine. And keep an eye on those three, especially him!"

~.~.~

Moving slowly, but without encountering any real obstacle, Yuri and Conrart had reached the edge of the lake.

A faint golden light had begun to filter through between the tree trunks as they approached, making Conrart slow wearily. But even diffused by the mist, that light did not appear to be from lanterns or torches.

Now, standing on the shore, they could see that the golden glow came from the lake itself. The water glimmered, stretching away out of sight.

"Is that normal?" Yuri wondered. On Earth, he would have considered radioactive waste or even magic, but in the Demon Kingdom, it could very well be some kind of natural phenomenon.

He leaned closer, peering into the glowing depths, but even Yuri knew better than to just touch it. A sudden ripple distorted the steady light as the skeleton of a fish poked its nose out at Yuri. Catching a glimpse of its impressive, sharp teeth, he quickly backed away.

"What should we do now? There wasn't any sign of the others," Yuri said, turning to Conrart.

There was no reply. Conrart's form had become tense, and his eyes scanning the misty treeline. Biting back his questions, Yuri moved closer to his companion.

"Someone's coming," Conrart explained quietly, drawing his sword. "But... they're too loud. Not like the locals."

"One of ours?" Yuri whispered back.

It was possible, but Conrart was not that optimistic. 'They're coming right toward us,' he thought. 'How can they know our position so clearly?'

Soon, even Yuri could pick out the sounds of someone approaching through the forest, unnaturally loud in the still air. A figure appeared among the mists, its blurred silhouette solidifying as it drew closer.

Yuri's widened and his breath caught as the hidden features sharpened into something painfully familiar.

"Shori!" he exclaimed, unthinkingly darting toward his brother.

However, Conrart had expected it this time. One strong arm held Yuri back, ignoring his struggles.

"Conrad! Let go!" Yuri protested, trying to push him away. "That's my brother! Shori! Shori!"

"Please consider the situation, Your Majesty," Conrart tried to reason, even as his attention remained fixed on the young man in front of them, whose expression had darkened dangerously. "How and why would your brother be here? There has already been one attempt to trap you using the image of your family. You can't rush in blindly."

"You're wrong! That's Shori!" Yuri insisted.

"He's right, little brother," Shori said, his expression twisting unhappily. "You shouldn't trust so blindly, not even someone who looks like me. Your perception abilities are terrible. There's no guarantee you could see through a fake."

Yuri scowled, familiar irritation rising as being lectured yet again - and right after they finally met!

Shori's gaze turned to Conrart, narrowing in a glare. "But don't think that gives you the right to take liberties like that with my younger brother," he declared. "Just who are you, exactly? What is your relationship?"

"Conrad's my friend, Shori!" Yuri said, glaring right back.

"Call me Big Brother," Shori said, holding out one hand and gesturing as if waiting to be handed something.

"Not a chance," Yuri shot back.

That well-worn exchange made them both smile, some hidden tension slipping out of the two brothers as they finally really looked at each other again after so long apart.

But as Yuri tried to move toward his older brother, Conrart held him back again.

"Come on, Conrad! That can't be anyone but Shori," Yuri huffed. "Who else would be so annoying?"

"Nonetheless, I can't let you do that, Your Majesty," Conrart remained firm.

Watching him, Shori bristled. "I acknowledge your dedication to my younger brother's safety," he growled, "but don't start thinking that gives you the right to push him around!"

The two matched glares, neither willing to back down, as Yuri stared at them in disbelief. 'Doesn't anyone care what I think?' he wondered. 'Idiots!'

It seemed as if Conrart had the advantage, being the one with a weapon and the training to use it. Shori had no combat skills that Yuri knew of. But at the same time, he seemed too assured of his position as he watched Conrart with a calculating gaze.

'He must sense something we don't,' Yuri realized, finally recognizing the confidence Shori exuded. He shivered, feeling something intangible shift around them, deep in the core of his soul.

In the next moment, the fog abruptly dropped away. The speed at which it dissipated left no doubt that it had not been a natural phenomenon. On the clear lake shore, previously hidden figures, clad in the forest dwellers' white cloaks, were suddenly revealed.

Conrart reacted quickly, trying to turn to face the new threat while still keeping Yuri away from Shori, but a soft voice called out, "Wait!"

One of the figures - far shorter than the rest - stepped forward, drawing back her hood. Thick braids spilled out, framing the round face of a young girl. She looked pale and worn, much like Ulrike since the three Boxes had been assembled under her care.

"Please wait. There's no need for anyone to fight. I can vouch for Lord Shori's identity," she beseeched, spreading her small, delicate hands. "I am Ondine. His Eminence has explained the situation to me."

"Murata? So he met up with you okay?" Yuri wondered, peering around Conrart.

"Indeed. His Eminence and the young lord Von Bielefelt are both at our village. I apologize for my people's hostile reaction. We are... unused to visitors," Ondine explained, bowing deeply. "Please, come with me. There is much to discuss."

Conrart still looked distrustful, but when Yuri tugged at his sleeve, he glanced down. Their eyes met, sharing the same thought.

There was nothing else for them to do. And wasn't rushing straight into things Yuri's way?

~.~.~

((This is based on episode 46, "The Priestess in the Forest," with a slight reference to episode 53, "Dear King Yuri." Yes, Yuri and company pass through Gloria's wild west town. It's stated to be far out west, on the frontier, which one would assume is the same frontier where Ondine's forest is located.))

((If you look at the manga/novel map of Shin Makoku, the Wincott territory is on the west side, in the north. (There is a reason I mention this, I promise.) Under it is the Christ territory, under that - Rosheford. Luttenberg, the place where Conrart was born and many other half-breed lived, in next to the Wincott lands, just north of the border with Christ.))

((I'm a little unsure why, but this is probably where the war twenty years ago was fought, out west. It's supposed to have been against Big Cimaron, which is on a different continent, so what country is out here? None at all?))

((The geography of KKM is a mysterious thing.))

((Also, this was a terrible time to realize that I have no idea what Shori is like. Oh well~))


	41. VI-3 Fluctuation

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri and his brother have a heart-warming family reunion, which is unfortunately cut short.

~.~.~

**Part VI, Chapter 3**

_Fluctuation_

~.~.~

"Again, I deeply apologize for my people's rudeness," Ondine repeated, bowing deeply to the assembled Demon Tribesmen. They had all been gathered in the main plaza of the forest village, after clarifying that Josak was, indeed, part of their group.

"It's okay, really," Yuri insisted. "We're all fine, so don't worry about it." He glanced back at his party as if for confirmation. Josak and Murata smiled, like usual, but Conrart still looked wary and Wolfram mutinous.

Shori snorted. "It's their fault in the first place, for sending a spy sneaking around like that."

"This is part of the Demon Kingdom!" Wolfram growled. "If the Demon King decides to dispatch someone, they have no right to stop him!"

"Oh? And did my little brother decide that?" Shori asked, his eyes narrowing.

Wolfram scowled furiously, uncertain how to answer that. "And just who do you think you are, to question the king's will?" he demanded instead. "Are you really his brother? You might be just some impostor!"

"I can vouch that Lord Shori came from the other world," Ondine said quietly. Her entire bearing, graceful and calm, was at odds with her child-like appearance. Even Ulrike still retained something girlish, but Ondine seemed almost like a spirit that had taken human form. However, she was also pale and drawn, some kind of exhausting marring her delicate features.

"That's right. This is my older brother Shori," Yuri said, gesturing to the man. "But I don't get it. How did you end up here? And why did you come to the Demon Kingdom?"

"What do you mean, why?" Shori asked irritably, his lips pursing. "You disappeared! Do you know how worried Mom and Dad have been?"

'Oh yes, it's because your parents were worried, not because of your raging brother complex,' Murata thought, pushing up his glasses to hide his mocking eyeroll.

"I left a note!" Yuri protested. "And it's not like you guys don't know about the Demon Kingdom."

Shori's expression darkened. He seemed to bite back something before finally saying, "It's too early. You're still just a kid!"

"We didn't have time to wait! And I can manage fine!" Yuri shot back. "I can-"

"Alright, let's not go there now," Murata broke in quickly. He knew an argument between the two wouldn't lead anywhere good. "Time doesn't always pass at the same rate in the two worlds, so I was hoping that we'd be able to return without anyone noticing," he said. "But I guess in this case the timelines must have synched too closely. How long has it been in on Earth?"

'I suppose it's only natural,' Murata mused. 'He's not in any position to keep the timeflow disparate.'

"About the same as it's been here," Shori said shortly. "And it was foolish of you to assume I wouldn't notice Yuu-chan's absence immediately."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yuri wondered. "I told Mom not to worry and everything. How could you notice before the month was up?" His expression turned suspicious. "You didn't put a tracking chip in my phone or something, did you?"

Shori met his glare unrepentantly, his expression conveying that the answer should be obvious.

"Did you?!" Yuri demanded.

"...I didn't," Shori finally admitted, though his tone suggested that considered it to be an oversight on his part. "But I could tell you were hiding something. So..."

"So you went to check up on us," Murata concluded.

"But your stupid perception magic doesn't work on me!" Yuri protested.

"Of course it doesn't work, same as your illusions don't work on me," Shori agreed irritably. "But I'm still your older brother, and I know you better than anyone. You think you could really fool me, Yuu-chan?"

Seeing others' confused looks, Murata explained quietly, "He specializes in a branch of magic that deals with seeing things that are hidden. It has a lot of different names, but I guess you could call it a sixth sense. So he can always tell when someone is lying or hiding something, or even just perceive something that's beyond normal limits. It's actually really useful... or really annoying, depending."

"So that's how he saw through my perfect disguise - cheating with magic," Josak said, nodding thoughtfully.

"And how he found His Majesty through the fog," Conrart added.

Murata nodded. "Of course, since he and Shibuya know each other so well," he said, "neither of them is able to make their magic on the other. They both subconsciously counter each other's abilities."

"Still, how did they end up like that? I mean, isn't hiding things and seeing things that are hidden the complete opposite?" Josak pointed out.

"Shibuya's older brother takes after their father," Murata said, shrugging. "Mr. Shibuya actually uses it for his work, to tell if people are being honest about their accounts. But Shibuya decided he wanted to learn the opposite, illusions, instead. I didn't ask why."

Wolfram elbowed Murata, cutting their conversation short. "Hey... Shouldn't you do something about that?" he said, jerking his head toward the double-black brothers.

While Murata had been distracted, they had deteriorated into their usual argument.

"Call me Big Brother, Yuu-chan!"

"No way! And stop calling me Yuu-chan!"

"Listen to what Big Brother tells you, Yuu-chan!"

"Quit ordering me around! I'm not a little kid anymore!"

"You're still my little brother!"

"Okay, that's enough of that," Murata declared, moving to stand between the two. They weren't prone to physical violence, but sometimes just shouting at them wasn't enough.

"Don't interfere," Shori ordered. "I'll deal with you later."

"You don't need to deal with him. Murata hasn't done anything wrong," Yuri said hotly. "And it's none of your business anyway."

"If you two need a timeout, we can wait," Murata said, his tone pleasant, but louder than it strictly needed to be. "Just make sure you go to separate corners, okay?" Ignoring their matched glares, he continued, "Now that we've got that heartwarming family reunion out of the way, let's get down to business. There is one pressing question here: how did you come to this world?"

His expression had shifted as he shed his falsely pleasant demeanor, into the features of the Great Wiseman. Shori met Murata's gaze evenly, refusing to back down.

"When I realized what had happened, I went to Bob for answers," Shori said. "He told me even he hadn't been able to contact the other side for a while. So we devised a method similar to what you did."

Murata watched him thoughtfully. "You mean using a weakspot in the fabric of the world?" he said.

"I guess even you don't know," Shori mused, looking down on Murata in that annoyingly judging, calculating way. "This lake is where our ancestors took the Bottom of the Mirror to Earth."

Murata's eyes widened, and he glanced at Ondine in surprise. The former Oracle nodded, having watched their entire conversation silently. "I hadn't known that. I only heard about it afterwards," Murata said, trying to hide his frown. "Taking the Box to Earth was something Earhart and Crystel decided on their own, without telling anyone else."

"This lake is still connected to the place where they arrived, in modern Switzerland," Shori continued, crossing his arms. "That is where the Box has been kept all this time, watched over by us, their descendants, the Demon Tribe of Earth."

"Wait, you saw it? The Bottom of the Mirror?" Yuri asked, leaning forward in nervous anticipation.

Shori nodded, his lips twisting into a frown. "I didn't just see it," he said. His usual composure wavered, his hands clenching as something like fear passed over his face. However, he shook away his unease and added shortly, "I brought it here."

His pronouncement was so unexpected that those listening could only stare in silent shock.

They had been forced to set aside the issue of the Boxes for so long, with so many seemingly insurmountable obstacles standing in their way, that they had almost put it out of their minds. Even Yuri and Murata, who had been searching for some way to progress toward finding the last Box, had known that any resolution was still far off.

They hadn't expected to have that issue so suddenly settled.

"It's here?!" Yuri burst out, recovering first.

Murata's eyes narrowed, calculatingly. "...Is that what Ondine has been dealing with? The reason she's so exhausted?" he asked, glancing at the tiny priestess.

"...No. The miasma leaking from the Box has been temporarily drained off," Ondine said quietly. "I have been dealing with another matter." She shared an unreadable look with Shori. "It has to do with an order given to me by the Great One."

"It was related to traveling between worlds, wasn't it?" Murata said, trying to remember that particular lifetime. It had been right before his soul had reincarnated on the other side... 'It's obvious she was the one who guided Shori to this world, but what could she be doing now?' he wondered.

"Long ago, traveling to other worlds was something random, uncontrolled. People stumbled into the gap between and fell out elsewhere. But Lord Wincott changed that," Ondine told them quietly. "To send something like a Forbidden Box to the other side, he had to stabilize the connection. He tied the two worlds together... And that has consequences."

"I'm sure he was only doing what he believed to be necessary," Murata murmured.

Ondine didn't disagreed. "It created a new danger. The Originators are not bound by the same limits as living beings. Even sealed, their gaze is still upon this world... and now upon the other world as well. They can seep easily through the boundary between worlds and follow that connection to the other side."

'That must be why Stoffel could make a puppet look like Mom,' Yuri thought, his brow furrowing. 'The Originators... can see even Earth...'

Ducking his head, Murata tried to hide his frown. 'That could complicate things,' he thought. 'Now Earth is also in danger?'

His eyes darted to Yuri, and the two exchanged a quick look. Yuri shook his head, quickly regaining his determination. 'It doesn't matter,' he thought. 'We'll just have to beat the Originators, so they can't harm this world or Earth!'

Ondine had been watching them pensively. She nodded. "It's just as you have realized," she said. "The other world is also in danger from the Originators. The Great One... deeply regretted that. Thus, he charged me and my sister Seraphine with the task of ensuring that the Originators would not be able to leave this world to threaten any other."

Though she didn't say it, letting them instead absorb what she had said, Ondine thought sadly, 'She was so honored to be able to serve the Great One, despite not being chosen as the Oracle...'

Looking up, Ondine continued, "The Great One gave us some of his power, and, according to the plan we devised, my sister traveled to the other world through the gate in our lake. Working together from both sides, over the course of eight hundred years, we set up a far-reaching seal that will, once activated, completely sever the connection between the two worlds."

Her eyes met Yuri's, and the sympathy in her gaze made his breath catch. Slowly, unwillingly, the full implication of her words hit him.

Ondine's gaze dropped, pained and apologetic. "Seraphine and I... we didn't know when the time would come. We didn't know... if we would see it for ourselves. So we built the ritual to activate without us... As soon as the Forbidden Box was brought through to this world..."

Slowly, her meaning dawned on the others as well, and their eyes darted to Yuri, who could only sit frozen, stunned.

"I'm sorry," Ondine said quietly. "The seal has already activated. It's all Seraphine and I can do to hold it from closing, even with Lord Shori's help. I... can't promise more than another day, before traveling to the other world becomes impossible."

~.~.~

Leaving the visitors in stunned, heavy silence, Ondine had returned to the lakeshore. With the mist gone, the golden radiance of the water shone almost blindingly.

The portal was wavering, destabilized by the time she had been away.

"I'm sorry, sister," Ondine murmured, kneeling beside the lake and reaching for her dwindling powers, "for making you hold it up alone. It'll be over soon..."

The glow of the lake's gateway flared as she added her power to it. They'd had no choice but to keep it perpetually open, to stop the world seal from taking full effect. Even with Ondine, Seraphine and the people on the other side lending their strength, they were at their limit.

Ondine swayed, her magic dangerously exhausted, but a large warm hand steadied her, pressing against her small shoulders. Glancing back, she saw Shori's calm features regarding her with a rare kindness and concern. Ondine smiled tiredly.

"Lord Shori, you should be with your brother. I'm sorry... I can only offer you a short time together," she said. Biting her lip, she murmured, "You mustn't waste it, not even a second..."

"He's still in shock. I'll go talk to him soon," Shori said, his gaze sympathetic. "For now, I wanted to thank you, for everything you've done. I forced you to keep the portal open, on the slim chance that I might be able to see Yuri again before it was closed forever. Thank you for giving me this chance."

Ondine smiled, bittersweet and melancholy, and shook her head. "We're the ones who have forced a terrible fate upon you both," she said quietly.

Shori met her gaze evenly. "No," he said, "you've done everything in your power to protect this world and even Earth. Thank you, for that as well. For everything that you sacrificed, you and your sister both." Ondine flinched, looking away. "For giving up eight hundred years together and never being able to meet again."

Her shoulders shook as she tried to stifle a sob. "...What kind of person did she become?" Ondine asked quietly, almost plaintively. "What kind of person is my sister?"

"The kind that doesn't hesitate to help a fool trying to reach his little brother," Shori told her, smiling gently. "I'd say... she's just like you."

"...Of course. We're twins after all," Ondine whispered, smiling through her tears.

~.~.~

((Do-ramaaaaa.))

((How time passes between Earth and the other world is a mysterious thing. When Yuri goes there, no time passes on Earth at all until very late in the series, and while he's on Earth, longer periods pass in the Demon Kingdom, though not on a consistent ratio. However, this hasn't always been so. Keep in mind that the time while Yuri was growing up on Earth passed the same in the Demon Kingdom - Conrad spend fifteen years waiting for a fifteen-year-old to arrive.))


	42. VI-4 You and I II

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Yuri promises to meet again.

~.~.~

**Part VI, Chapter 4**

_You and I (II)_

~.~.~

Shori didn't need to say anything when he returned to where the other Demon Tribesmen waited. His eyes met Yuri's and Murata's, and he nodded to one side, beckoning them to come with him. His cool, commanding gaze swept over the others, making them reflexively fall back, despite Wolfram and Conrart's clear unease.

Swallowing heavily, Yuri stood and hurried after his brother, Murata silently standing as well. Conrart's hand clenched around the hilt of his sword, but he didn't move to follow, and even Wolfram couldn't find the words to protest. None of them had been able to say anything in the face of Ondine's pronouncement.

It had been too heavy, a sudden tragedy that left no time for them to even try to find a solution. No time to go back to even say goodbye.

'I knew from the start that I might never see them again,' Yuri thought, watching his brother's back as he followed after him. 'But I could still hope. This is... I don't know what to do...'

He felt like crying, but even that wouldn't be enough.

Murata was the first to break the silence as they drew to a stop in an isolated clearing. "Shibuya," he said quietly, "there's nothing we can do. This is to protect the Earth from the threat of the Originator."

"I know that," Yuri whispered, his stooped shoulders curling even further inward.

"That's why we-"

"Enough," Shori said sharply. "If you're suddenly feeling so talkative, I have questions for you to answer." Their dark, unreadable eyes met, separated by more than just two pairs of glasses. "First and foremost: just what are these Originators?"

Murata smiled meaninglessly. "That is something we never understood fully. I don't think there's any reason for you to waste your limited time discussing that. I'm sure there are better things for you to do, older brother of my friend."

"Don't patronize me!" Shori scowled. "And you no longer have the right to call me that!"

Murata's smile widened as he prepared to retaliate, but Yuri stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Murata," he said, "I want to know too. What are the Originators?"

For a long moment, his friend remained silent. Then, he sighed in surrender.

"Like I said, we were never able to understand the Originator's origins or true nature," he said, pushing up his glasses. "The best I can tell you is that the Originator... is an aggregate of negative emotion. Fear, anger, sadness, greed..."

'That's what I felt,' Yuri thought. 'When I touched the thing inside Stoffel. I couldn't feel a core or any center, just places where the darkness was deeper.'

"As far as we were able to determine, it is not so much a being as a phenomenon," Murata continued. "It infects other living beings, taking over their hearts through the small bit of negativity everyone has, feeds upon their emotions to multiply itself and uses their minds and their bodies to spread itself even further."

"Wait. Are you saying... it has no consciousness of its own? It's a disease?" Shori asked, his brow furrowed in thought.

Murata shrugged. "Yes... and no. There seems to be a certain will behind it. But its exact goals and its methods changed whenever its host changed. It would take on not only their physical form, but also all their knowledge... and a warped form of their desires and beliefs."

"I was told the Originators took over people and could even use the dead as puppets," Shori muttered, his expression growing distant as his mind spun. "But what you're saying is beyond that..."

"Yeah. What we fought weren't just empty husks, controlled by the Originator, but some twisted combination of the Originator and the people who had been taken over," Murata said quietly, closing his eyes as he remembered that horrifying struggle. "And yet they were all connected. Destroying any single body was meaningless. The rest of it survived, growing only stronger..."

'So destroying the darkness in Stoffel really was meaningless,' Yuri thought, his arms curling tightly around himself. 'How are we going to fight something like that? There must be a way!'

"And just how do you plan to fight something like that?" Shori demanded, his voice cold and strong. His eyes narrowed. "Or rather, how do you plan to have Yuri fight it? Don't tell me you're risking my brother on nothing but a prayer!"

But Murata remained unfazed, meeting his eyes evenly. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll do everything I can to support Shibuya."

"That's not good enough!" Shori shouted, gesturing sharply.

"Shori!" Yuri protested, moving between the two. "Murata is the Great Wiseman. He helped the Great One seal the Originators away in the first place!"

"You don't understand! I saw it!" Shori yelled back. He flinched, something completely unlike the stubborn, always controlled brother Yuri knew. He said quietly, "I saw it. At the place where the Box had been kept, its darkness had leaked into the ground. When we tried to remove it, a monster was created. It was... we barely beat it, even with Bob's power. If that is just a fraction of their potential, if that's what they can do with only lifeless dirt at their disposal..."

"...I do understand. I saw it too," Yuri replied. "But that's exactly why I have to fight them! To protect everyone!"

"You're the one I want to protect!" Shori snapped, then winced.

Yuri looked away, feeling both annoyed and bitterly touched at this old argument. "...You don't have to protect me," he muttered.

"I'm your older brother."

"I'm not a kid anymore."

Neither of their words held any real fire, though they still firmly believed in what they had said. But there was no point in rehashing the things they had already repeated so many times.

Shori sighed, quietly. "...I want to tell you there's no point in fighting, but I know that you won't accept that. I want to say we can just come home and forget that horrible darkness and this entire messed up world, but..."

"But I can't just abandon everyone," Yuri finished, his voice low and sad. "I'm the Demon King. They're counting on me."

"Yeah..." Shori said. His expression was exasperated, but also soft and fond. He smiled, wryly. "I know. You're my brother, after all. And that's why... I'm going to protect you matter what. No matter which world you are in."

"S-Shori?"

He turned away sharply and headed toward the village. "Come on," he called back over his shoulder. "We need to tell Ondine she doesn't need to keep the portal open any longer."

"Shori!" Yuri yelled, chasing after him. His heart was suddenly pounding, even as his stomach dropped. "What does that mean? Shori!"

"It's simple," Shori said calmly, his steps even and sure. "I'm staying here."

"You can't!"

Shori chuckled. "I can't decide what you will do, Yu-chan, but that means you can't decide for me either."

"No! Shori!"

This time, he didn't bother to reply. They had almost returned; Yuri could see the village circle up ahead. Noticing their approach, Conrart and Josak had looked up, Wolfram following their gazes.

'He can't stay here!' Yuri thought frantically. 'What about Mom and Dad? What about succeeding Bob as Earth's Demon King? No, I can't let this happen! Shori's future isn't here...'

But what could he do? What could he do...?

"Shori!" Yuri yelled, the desperate determination in his voice stopping brother in his tracks and drawing the attention of his comrades. "I'll do it! I'll go back to Earth with you!"

~.~.~

No one had known how to respond to his decision.

"Yuri, what are you saying?!" Wolfram finally burst out. Next to him, Josak had taken on a cold, disdainful expression Yuri hadn't seen in a long while, while Conrart looked uncertain, under his carefully blank mask.

Murata pushed up his glasses. "Shibuya, think carefully about what you're doing," he said quietly. Mostly hidden behind the gleam of his lenses, his face was unreadable.

Even Shori seemed uneasy. "You don't have to do that, Yu-chan. I'll stay here with you," he said, his brow furrowing as he studied his brother far too closely. Pursing his lips, he thought, 'I didn't intend to force him into it. If Yuri really does it... if really goes back to Earth, it'll break his heart. I'm not sure he'll ever be able to forgive himself.'

Yuri shook his head. Slowly, he let his gaze sweep across each of them before glancing away. "I can't let you throw away your life for my sake," he insisted. "And we can't both leave Mom and Dad like that. You're... you're my family, the most important thing to me. I've missed you all so much..."

His breath hitched, and he ducked his head.

"Yuri..." Shori murmured.

"But... but..." Wolfram stammered, his gaze flickering to Yuri and away. He felt completely adrift. Despite all his complaints, he had always seen Yuri's determination as something admirable and, despite how annoying it could be, reliable in its own way. But this time, Yuri had given up.

No. He had become determined to protect his family. This was what it was like being on the other side of Yuri's drive.

'But aren't we your family? You're part of the Demon Tribe now!' Wolfram bit back the words, stubborn tears welling up in his eyes as his shoulders and clenched fists trembled.

Wolfram had told Gunter he would accept Yuri going to Earth, but he had been absolutely certain Yuri would return. This... this was forever.

"So you're just going to abandon the Demon Kingdom?" Josak said coldly, not bothering to hold back his anger and disappointment.

Yuri quailed, making Shori snarl in return. Josak matched his glare. The air between them almost crackled with tension, and the two looked like they were about to come to blows. But Conrart pulled Josak back, shaking his head.

"If that is His Majesty's wish... Yuri's wish... then he has the right to return to his home and family," Conrart said, his voice unnaturally even and calm given the situation. He met Josak's ugly look unflinchingly.

"Fine," Josak snapped, pulling away from his friend. "So long, Your Majesty! Good riddance."

"It's not like that!" Yuri finally burst out. "We'll meet again! I swear! I'll find a way..."

"What are you saying, Shibuya?" Murata spoke up suddenly, having been lost in his own thoughts. His eyes narrowing as he looked at Yuri again.

Yuri squared his shoulders, straightening with determination. But his expression gave away uncertainty and doubt. "I'll find a way past the seal and come back to see everyone again," he swore, his tone wavering despite the strength he tried to project.

Murata shook his head sharply, his lips pursing. "That would defeat the whole point of the seal, Shibuya," he protested. "You would placing an entire world in danger from the Originators! You can't just arrogantly claim that you'll certainly defeat it. You can't risk everyone's lives as long as there is even the slightest chance we might fail."

"I can't let Shori stay here!" Yuri yelled back.

There was nothing anyone could say to that. Even Shori could only glance at him and look away quickly, his expression momentarily conflicted. 'Yuri will regret it. I'm causing him to suffer, but...' Shori thought. 'But... I can't back down either. I won't go back alone. And at least this way... Yuri will be safe.'

It was selfish of him, but Shori couldn't bring himself to take that thought back.

At least Yuri would be safe on Earth.

Yuri's eyes darted between the other four, but he finally shook his head and turned away. "...Let's go," he muttered, his head bowed under a terrible weight. A faint shudder went through his form.

"Yu-chan, are you sure?" Shori asked, glancing at the four Demon Tribesmen. "You should..." '...Say goodbye,' he had intended to say, but seeing their angry, hurt or unnaturally blank looks, he couldn't force the words out.

"We shouldn't make Ondine wait any more," Yuri insisted, grabbing Shori by the arm and dragging him away, toward the lake.

~.~.~

Ondine looked up in surprise as they approached. She looked even worse than just a few hours prior, and Yuri had the sudden unsettling feeling that her promise of another day would have been bought at a very high price.

"I can still..." she began, trying to rise, only to sway and collapse back on her knees.

"There's no need," Shori assures her, kneeling quickly by her side and steadying her. "We're departing."

"I... You? You both?" she wondered, her wide eyes darting between them.

Yuri nodded, his head jerking as if pulled up and down on a string. His fingers tightened around Shori's arm before pulling away.

"I... I see..." Ondine murmured, though her befuddled expression clearly said she didn't.

Shori moved ahead, casting a glance back as Yuri lingered. "Sorry, I just..." the younger brother murmured. "I won't see everyone again... for a really long time, probably..."

Both of them looked back in the direction of the village, waiting, but there was no sound or movement among the trees. The forest stood empty. Finally, Yuri sighed and turned away, taking a step toward his brother.

"Wait!" a frantic cry split the air. "Yuri, wait!"

Wolfram burst out onto the lake shore, Conrart and Murata following after him. Even Josak silently approached close enough to watch the unfolding scene.

'So they did come,' Shori thought. Turning away to give them that much privacy, Shori moved toward the lake. The path slopped into the water, marking the place where their ancestors had departed from this world, four thousand years ago.

He kept moving, slowly, until the shining waves had risen to his calves - strangely not feeling at all wet - and the pull of the gate had become almost impossible to resist. This was the point of no return.

Taking a deep breath, Shori closed his eyes and waited.

Finally catching his breath, Wolfram straightened and pointed angrily at Yuri. "You better come back soon!" he yelled, scowling fiercely. "Your determination is your only good point, you wimp! So you better... you better not give up!"

He ducked his head, sniffling a little, and Conrart laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. Turning to Yuri, Conrart smiled wistfully. "We'll be waiting for you, here at the Demon Kingdom. It's a promise," he said, making Yuri's eyes widen as he recognized the echo of his own words to Conrart.

"...Yeah," Yuri whispered, swallowing heavily. "I promise. I'll definitely come back. I'll see you again!"

"Then let's get going, Shibuya. No point in dawdling," Murata said, strolling past the others to Yuri's side. Meeting Yuri's surprised gaze, Murata smiled wryly. "I'll be coming with you. Otherwise, there's no telling what you'll do. I did tell you that I would support you no matter what."

Yuri nodded, his shoulders shaking. "Thanks for everything. Thank you... for supporting me all this time. Thank you..."

He spun around suddenly, and ran.

Truth was, his nerve had almost given out. He had to do this now, before he hesitated or changed his mind.

Shori glanced over his shoulder, his sympathetic gaze turning shocked as he realized that Yuri wasn't about to run past him into the gateway.

Yuri was running straight for him. They would crash.

The two brothers collided painfully, Yuri's momentum sending Shori stumbling back, deeper into the lake. The gateway's pull was too strong to fight now, and he could feel his being stretch out in the same strange way that had brought him to the other world.

But... Yuri's arms weren't wrapping around him, holding tight. Yuri had backpaddled quickly, keeping his balance, at the boundary line where Shori had stood. Instead, he pushed, with all his might.

A moment too late, Shori finally knew what was happening.

"Yuri!" he yelled, reaching out.

"Goodbye, Big Brother," Yuri murmured, just loud enough for him to hear.

Then, the gateway was pulling Shori away, at the same time as Murata grabbed the back of Yuri's jacket and dragged him back, out of the lake.

"Ondine, close the gate!" Murata yelled, startling the former Oracle. She scrambled to obey, swiftly drawing her magic back.

The golden light flared, blinding, and a shining pillar shot toward the sky.

In the next moment, everything went dark. It was over.

Blinking the spots out of their eyes, the others looked around in confusion. Yuri and Murata had fallen in a heap at the very edge of the lake, water lapping at their soles. Nearby, Ondine slumped in pure exhaustion. Silent tears had begun to stream down her face.

"Yuri!" Wolfram called out, running to the two double-blacks. "What was that? What happened?"

"I couldn't let Shori stay here," Yuri said quietly as he sat up. Pulling his knees to his chest, he wrapped his arms around them, curling up and hiding his face.

"Yes, you said that, but..." Wolfram twitched, realization hitting him. "You were going to push him in all along."

Yuri nodded.

Sighing, Murata pulled Wolfram back a little, to give Yuri space. "That's what I thought," he said.

"I don't understand! Why do all that, then?" Wolfram protested. "Why... act like that toward us? I really thought..." He trailed off, flushing in embarrassment.

"...It's like I said. Shibuya's brother can see through deception easily. If any of you knew and tried to hide it from him, he'd get suspicious right away," Murata explained. He smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I was kind of afraid he'd catch on when I figured it out myself. Even I have trouble hiding things from him. Even Shibuya does."

'It's lucky even he got caught off guard by the rush to get going before the portal closed,' Murata thought. 'Shibuya's brother is too sharp otherwise. Though probably even he didn't expect Shibuya to pull something so roundabout and underhanded. Shibuya played it surprisingly well, in misdirection if nothing else...'

"I guess, in this case, Shibuya meant everything he said, just not the way we thought," Murata murmured.

Both of them glanced at Yuri's hunched figure, Conrart quietly moving to stand beside them. Yuri's shoulders were shaking faintly, but no one was quite sure how to comfort him, or even if they should.

"Yuri..." Conrart tried, reaching out abortively.

Yuri shook his head, sniffling quietly. "I'll... I'll see them again," he insisted. "I'll find a way to go back. I swear! One day..."

He repeated his earlier promise. But his voice was filled with grief and uncertainty.

~.~.~

((This... damn... chapter... How many days did I struggle to get it down? Argh!))

((This situation came across as feeling incredibly forced. I'm not sure why. Most of the details had been decided long before they came together like this. (Ex: Shori's ability being the opposite of Yuri's illusions, basically.) I thought that it generally made sense, so why did it feel so weird while I was writing it? I wonder.))


	43. VI-5 Eye of the storm

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: Eleventh hour exposition. Why didn't you ask all this earlier, Yuri?

~.~.~

**Part VI, Chapter 5**

_Eye of the storm_

~.~.~

"So, we got the last Box! Murata's setting it up at the temple now," Yuri said, grinning brightly. "Our mission was a total success!"

Gwendal watched him for a long moment before his gaze slid to Wolfram. His youngest brother's expression did not convey a feeling of success. In fact, Wolfram looked just short of miserable.

"I see. That's good to hear," Gwendal said instead, turning back to Yuri. His king did not necessarily appear to be faking happiness, but now that Gwendal payed close attention to his expression, he could see where it seemed a little forced.

He shared a quick look with Conrart and Josak, to let them know he expected an explanation.

"Then, we'll leave this matter in the hands of the Oracle and the Great Wiseman," Gwendal said, his tone conveying very clearing that their conversation was finished and they were dismissed.

Watching Yuri and Wolfram depart, Gwendal turned to the other two.

"I would have expected you to be more relieved to have this settled," he told Conrart, who only smiled blandly.

"You know it's not really over yet," Conrart replied.

Gwendal sighed. He remembered what Yuri had told Belar in Van Da Via's volcano - they would put an end to the threat of the Forbidden Boxes. They would destroy the Originators.

'Is it really possible?' he wondered. The answer should have been no. But strangely, Gwendal found himself uncertain.

Whatever the Great Wiseman had planned - because assuming Yuri had a plan was just ridiculous - he had not chosen to share it with Gwendal, not matter how the man questioned, hinted and outright demanded.

"It's out of our hands... for now," Gwendal muttered.

All they could do was wait and prepare for the worst.

~.~.~

"It's nice to be back in the castle! We were only gone for a bit, but I really missed this place."

"Yuri."

"I wonder if I could get away with pretending to be a servant again? Or maybe I can go visit Murata. I might get in his way though..."

"Yuri!"

He turned to look at Wolfram, who was almost fuming in frustration. However, when their eyes met, Wolfram looked away quickly.

"Cut it out," he ordered with false bravado. "It's bad enough when Weller does it."

Yuri smiled, shaking his head. "It's not like that," he assured his friend. "I just don't want to think too much, or I'll end up moping. Better to keep myself busy, you know?"

Wolfram didn't appear convinced, but all the same, he nodded sharply. "Alright then. If you're so itching for something to do, we can get started on properly training you to use a sword. Or any weapon at all. Do you know anything about fighting?"

"Um..." Yuri chuckled uncomfortably. "I think Gunter mentioned having some papers for me to sign..."

Wolfram's eyes narrowed, and Yuri began to slowly back away. "What was that? It sounded like you were wimping out, but you wouldn't do that, right, Yuri?" he growled, and Yuri began to retreat faster, posed to take flight at any moment.

"Of course not! I just... um..." Yuri stammered, waving his hands.

Fortunately, salvation appeared in the most unexpected form.

"Your Majesty!" a familiar voice hailed them, making both boys turn in surprise. A woman was striding down the hallway toward them, her long red hair flowing behind her. Sizing them up quickly, she nodded to herself. "There you are! And Wolfram's here too. Good, good."

"Hello, Lady Anissina!" Yuri said brightly, feeling a profound sense of relief he had never expected to associate with the forceful and somewhat terrifying woman. "It's been a while! How have you been?"

"Oh, I've been visiting Celi," Anissina said. "She agreed to help me with my research, and I thought I'd help her reorganize Spitzweg Castle - instill a bit of progressiveness in that dreary old place, since we had such a wonderful opportunity for change." Turning to Wolfram, she added, "Here, Celi asked me to pass this to you."

She held out a thick envelope, smelling faintly of perfume. Wolfram accepted it gingerly, and Yuri had to wonder if he was worried about what his mother might have sent or about what Anissina might have done to it in the meantime.

"So what brings you to Covenant Castle? Anything I can help with?" Yuri inquired. Normally, he wouldn't have risked giving her an opening, but at the moment, he felt like being Anissina's "research assistant" was better than being Wolfram's punching bag, er, sparring partner.

Understanding his thought process, Wolfram shot him a dirty look. 'If that's how you want it, then fine!' Wolfram thought. Huffing, he turned up his nose and declared, "I'm going to see what Mother sent me. Good luck, Yuri."

He managed to give the last three words a particularly unsettling implication and stalked away.

Turning back to Anissina, who had lit up at his question and offer, Yuri found himself regaining the dread he usually felt toward her. What had he gotten himself into?

"I'm glad that you asked that!" Anissina declared, almost preening. "I came to report on my latest invention! ...Well, actually Celi and I discovered an unexpected use for one of my old creations." She added the last part as if it was a terrible disappointment.

Anissina held out what looked like a lantern at first glance, but as Yuri peered closer, he could see that it had a crystal inside, instead of a wick, and the metalwork had been modified with some kind of special coating and carved designs. As he leaned closer, the crystal inside began to glow, taking on a rich blue color.

"So what does it do?" Yuri wondered.

"It can detect fluctuations in the feelings of love around it! I call it 'Mr. Light Up the World with the Power of Love, Mark II!'" Anissina announced grandly. Before Yuri could say anything, she held up her other hand to stop him. "However! This amazing invention has another purpose! It can also detect the absence of love - in other words, the presence of miasma!"

Yuri's eyes widened in surprise. That... was really useful.

"Yes, Celi thought so too," Anissina said, a faint, pleased blush spreading over her cheekbones. She wasn't used to her efforts being well-received. "We were very surprised when Mr. Light Up the World with the Power of Love, Mark I, turned black all of a sudden. But with a bit of trial and error, we figured out it was due to the miasma lingering in some parts of the castle."

"That's amazing!" Yuri gushed.

"It's not really... Just a fortunate side effect. It wasn't my intention," Anissina surprisingly tried to demure.

"Still, even if it's meant to be a love detector, that's really cool too," Yuri insisted.

Anissina's smile twitched a little. 'Is this what Gwendal feels like?' she wondered. "...It's meant to be a lantern," Anissina said. "A light source, powered by strong feelings instead of magic energy. I thought it would be useful at festivals and the like."

"That's... practical of you," Yuri noted in surprise. The impression he had gotten from everyone's descriptions of Anissina was that she never cared about how useful or applicable an invention was, just that she felt like making it. 'Could she... just be misunderstood?' he thought.

"Since I revised my entire research approach and focus, I wanted to go back to the basics," Anissina said, tossing her long hair over her shoulder - though Yuri didn't realize it, that was her rarely-seen nervous tick. "Not that a great genius such as myself needed to start small, but for the benefit of future researchers, I wanted to lay out my progression clearly."

"That makes sense," Yuri agreed, unknowingly flustering Anissina a little further. She rallied with admirable poise.

"As you can see, I used a demon stone as the base," Anissina explained. Seeing Yuri's blank expression, she suddenly felt herself on much more familiar and certain ground. "Demon stones have long been known to react to emotions, especially love. For Mr. Light Up the World with the Power of Love, I increased the sensitivity of this particular stone, to make it truly shine with the force of the love in absorbs!"

Looking away and crossing her arms, she added grudgingly, "Unfortunately, although it reacts to far lesser quantities of love, that doesn't increase the intensity of the light the demon stone generates, which is insufficient to be of use."

Yuri nodded slowly. "I didn't know demon stones reacted to emotions," he said finally. "I know you can use them for magic, but..."

"Demon stones have many uses. The most common is amplifying the power of spells," Anissina agreed. "Demon stones are the opposite of esoteric stones - an esoteric stone disrupts spirits, whether of people or nature, while a demon stone draws in and collects spirits. That means that emotions can be absorbed by and linger in a particularly powerful stone. There's even legends about the spirits of the dead appearing through a demon stone to council their descendants and the like."

Yuri nodded along as Anissina paused thoughtfully.

"You must have seen some demon stones on your recent trip," she noted. "The Wincott territory has some of the most high-quality mines in the Demon Kingdom. Suzanna Julia even had a special stone passed down in her family. It was more potent than anything I had ever seen. It was rumored to have been commissioned by their great ancestor, Earhart Wincott, and to contain his will... Of course, when I experimented on it, I didn't find anything on the sort."

Starting in surprise, Yuri reached up reflexively to grasp at the pendant under his shirt. He tried to hide the motion, even as Anissina's sharp eyes darted toward him.

"What is it?" she asked. "Chest pains? You should go see a healer. Actually, we can go together, and I'll have them try my new Intimate Healing technique on you!"

"Feeling fine, thank you!" Yuri insisted backing away quickly. "That was just, um..." Actually, he couldn't think of a single excuse, no matter how implausible. Instead, Yuri went for distraction. "Your invention is really amazing!" he declared. "In fact, I absolutely have to show it to Murata! It'll be super useful at the Tomb! Okay?"

"Yes, of course, that is why I brought it," Anissina agreed, a little off-balance as Yuri snatched the lantern out of her hand.

"I'll go do that right now. Have a good stay!" he said quickly, giving Anissina no chance to protest before he had turned and hurried away down the hall.

It wasn't subtle or particularly dignified, but Yuri was simply glad to make a clean getaway.

~.~.~

"Sorry about the wait, Shibuya," Murata said, finally stepping out of the Tomb's inner chamber.

"Are you okay?" Yuri couldn't help asking.

Murata shook his head. "Yeah, I guess. It's just that with all four Boxes here..." He shook his head again.

'That bad, huh?' Yuri thought. He glanced down at the lantern in his hand. As Yuri had moved closer to the Tomb of the Great One, the previously clear crystal had gradually clouded over and taken on a dirty grey hue. By the time Yuri had reached the main gate, it had become completely opaque.

Now, it was just black, without a hint of color inside it, and even light seemed to be swallowed up along its surface.

"Hm?" Following Yuri's gaze, Murata glanced down at the lantern as well.

"It's Miss Anissina's invention," Yuri explained. "It..."

"It's retuned for sensitivity to ambient emotions, especially positive ones," Murata figured out easily. "It works in reverse too, it seems." Smiling wryly, he pushed up his glasses.

"I guess it's not going to be much use here," Yuri said.

"We're in too deep for that," Murata agreed.

Yuri straightened suddenly, turning to face Murata squarely. "So what are we going to do?" he asked, surprisingly calm and clear-eyed.

Murata's lips quirked. "You know, I'm honestly amazed that you could come this far and only now be asking what the plan is," he commented, smiling in spite of himself. "Most people would have hesitated long before this."

Crossing his arms, Yuri stared back. "What's your point?" he asked. "I trust you. You're way smarter than I am, Murata. So you must have a plan. Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"What if I don't?"

Yuri shrugged. "That's just like you. Oh, well. Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, apparently unconcerned.

Suddenly, Murata threw his head back and laughed. "You're really something else," he said, still chuckling. "Maybe I'll tell you after all..."

Yuri waited as Murata paused to gather his thoughts, but as the silence stretched on, his patience began to wane. "So?! Are you going to tell me or not?" he finally burst out.

Murata sighed. "I guess I better start at the beginning..." he decided. "How much do you know about what happened four thosand years ago?"

"His supreme Majesty the Great One, our founder and first king, sealed away the terrifying power of the Originators into the four Forbidden Boxes, following a long struggle at Mount Makadina," Yuri recited tonelessly. Thinking about it for a moment, he added, "Four of his allies helped him, and the Keys to the Boxes were embedded into parts of their bodies."

"To start with, that last part, is not really correct," Murata said. "Parts of their souls were made into the Keys. But I suppose it doesn't ultimately make much difference..."

'...Actually, that sounds kind of important,' Yuri thought.

"I already told you that Originator has no true form. It spreads itself by possessing people or even fresh corpses, and with each new host it corrupts, it grows," Murata began to explain. "By the time we understood its nature well enough to even begin to truly fight back, the Originator had spread across the world and amassed entire armies. Its power was unimaginable."

He could still remember it - the darkness covering the sky and earth, threatening to swallow all that remained. Murata shook his head to dispel the image.

"The best we could do was trick the Originator into gathering one place - Mount Makadina," he continued. "We prepared a large scale array, incorporating the power of the local spirits and the leylines that intersected there... The force of that ritual was so great that it turned the area into a frozen wasteland. It created a... pressure that forced the Originator into the prepared vessels, after it was split into four parts. Then, each vessel was sealed with a vow, confirmed by a sacrifice, on the level of the soul. Well, I guess you probably don't understand what kind of magic I'm talking about..."

He was right, Yuri didn't really understand. But there was something he got out of that explanation. "So even the Great One can't actually match the power of the Originators," Yuri mused.

Murata snorted. "Not by a long shot. No living being can."

Yuri nodded slowly. He had felt as much himself. "Then what are we going to do? Are we going to seal them again?" he wondered.

"I don't think that'll work," Murata admitted, pushing up his glasses to rub at the bridge of his nose. "The Originator learns from the experiences of whoever it possesses. Since it took over the Great One, it'll know what happened and how it worked. It'll be able to use his knowledge and experiences to avoid another trap like that. Not to mention that even after four thousand years, I wasn't able to find another suitable location..."

"Okay," Yuri said, nodding. Seeing Murata's look, he added, "I said I'd stop the Originators once and for all, so it wouldn't really be right to just seal them away again. So what's our new plan? You must have come up with one."

"Such high expectations..." Murata sighed. "But you're right. The Great One begame infected by the Originator's darkness during the final battle. Since we had sealed the main body of the Originator and the Great One held a strong will, its progression was slow, but we knew that eventually, the darkness would take over his heart and the Originator would return, using him as a medium. So we developed a plan..."

'Come to think of it, this is my first time telling someone about it,' Murata mused. 'Even Earhart just figured it out on his own. He was so angry...'

"Sealing his soul away in the Tomb was part of that plan," Murata said. "You see, the seal I used would make sure the Originator could not use its own power. It could not infect others... well, until we gathered the Boxes. So the entire consciousness of the Originator would eventually be forced to gather in a single vessel - the soul of the Great One. We knew the Originator would not make its move until all the Boxes were gathered, but once the stage is set, we will have a small window of opportunity."

Yuri's brow slowly furrowed as he listened to Murata. His mind refused to make the connection, but his hands clenched subconsciously, and he tensed, as if anticipating a blow.

Murata's glasses shone eerily as he said, "Before the Originator can infect anyone else, while it occupies that single vessel, it will be possible to destroy that darkness once and for all... by destroying the vessel."

It took one long moment, and then another, for Yuri to understand what he was saying.

"What?! That's... that's just stupid!" Yuri protested. He was, Murata noted with dark amusement, even more displeased than Earhart had been. "Why would you need to destroy the... the vessel, too? Just destroy the Originators!"

"There aren't any weapons effective enough against the Originators to do so," Murata explained, entirely too calmly and reasonable.

"But you have a weapon effective against a soul?!"

"You actually helped out, there, even if you didn't know what you were doing," Murata said, smiling oddly. "The weapon the Great One used to divide the Originator into four was the Demon Sword Morgif. It was forged just for that purpose, on Van Da Via Island, and returning it to its origin in the volcano will restore its power. If you call its name, it will come to your aid."

"You just said Morgif that can cut through the Originators!" Yuri objected, pointing at Murata as if he had caught him out on some lie.

"Yes, that's why Morgif is the weapon that needs to be used," Murata explained patiently. "Shibuya, you're forgetting a simple fact: people who have been infected by the Originators are completely assimilated. I told you, we never found a way to retrieve them. Even... even the Great One will not be able to extricate himself from them. At this point... it's already too late. It's been too late for a long time."

"...That's what you said about Stoffel too, but we got him out!" Yuri protested, seemingly growing more and more agitated.

"That was the because the Originator released him!" Murata finally snapped. "It tried to take you instead, but because it was such a small fragment, it needed to use all of its power to even attempt it! You're lucky... so lucky that you didn't get possessed in his stead, even with my help. You felt its power! You know that if it was any stronger..."

They glared at each other, more than anything, angry at their seemingly hopeless situation.

"...You said you'd believe in me," Yuri stated quietly.

"I do, Shibuya. I believe you can end the threat of the Originator, once and for all."

"I will, but not like this. I'll find a way," he vowed.

But to be honest, he had no idea where to even start.

~.~.~

((Anissina is like Hermione, except no one takes her seriously. I'd like to note that her inventions do work fine when there's a need for them. Her translation earbuds are amazing, and even the banana boat does its job quite well.))

((Also, I learned foreshadowing from Harry Potter, for better or for worse. Except when I don't so much foreshadow as spell things out in advance.))


	44. VI-6 Epicenter

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: The darkness appears, and the finale begins.

~.~.~

**Part VI, Chapter 6**

_Epicenter_

~.~.~

The light wolf howled as the greatsword, glowing with esoteric energy, cleaved through it, almost cutting it in half. It writhed, giving one last wail before bursting apart and disappearing.

Adalbert sneered, sheathing his sword and pinwheeling one arm. He was still a little sore, he decided, and his swing hadn't been as strong as usual, but his injuries had healed up well.

It was well past time to leave the cursed Demon Kingdom. The border was just ahead of him, past the village he stopped to help out... to test his recovering skills at.

But somehow, Adalbert found himself hesitating.

"These were much bigger than usual. Nastier too," he mused, looking around at the devastation the pack of light wolves had caused. "There's been a lot of trouble recently, hasn't there?"

He'd heard the rumors: light wolf attacks - like the one here - people suddenly turning paranoid and distrustful, even the appearance of some powerful dark wraith in one village.

In his gut, Adalbert was sure of the cause.

"What the hell are they doing?" he muttered, scowling as he turned to glance east, toward the capital and Covenant Castle.

Gisela - summoned by his father after he showed up half-dead at the man's isolated estate, as the only person he could trust not to turn Adalbert in - hadn't mentioned anything much. She had seemed more interested in assuring him that the village he had helped attack all those months ago was recovering well. As if he cared.

The only thing she had been willing to confirm was that the Demon King had gathered three of the four Forbidden Boxes.

'What is he planning?' Adalbert wondered. He wasn't even sure who he meant, the Great One or that brat. Adalbert knew that there was some plan, some endgame toward which the Great One was leading them, using everyone as simply pawns to achieve some end. But what was it?

A plan four thousand years in the making...

The plan Julia had died for.

Adalbert cursed under his breath. His steps were brisk as he took off, the border quickly falling behind him and the capital drawing closer.

He would see this through to the end.

~.~.~

The first sign was the birds. The entire massive flock took off without warning, their voices blending into a screeching cacophony of "Bad omen! Bad omen!"

Yuri ran outside, searching for the cause - an invasion, another of Anissina's failed experiments? - and he wasn't alone. As he scanned the castle grounds, he spotted Conrart and Wolfram nearby. They must have been in the middle of their daily sparring. But now Conrart crouched beside Wolfram, who appeared to have collapsed, clutching at his chest.

"What happened?" Yuri asked, running up to them, no longer so concerned for the birds' sudden flight. Conrart glanced up, and Yuri could see that he had dropped his practice sword to reach out for Wolfram, while his left arm hung limply at his side.

Before Conrart could answer, a shadow passed over them, and the courtyard filled with a deafening clatter, as an entire flock of the Bone-wing tribe suddenly descended from the sky. They dropped onto every flat surface - the roofs, the window sills, even the trees - turning their skull heads toward Yuri and the others. Their jaws clacked ceaselessly.

The maids were shrieking, while more guards burst out of the castle, doors banging, feet pounding, but everything was lost in the ongoing chaos.

Even when Gwendal stormed out, calling for order, his voice was lost in the cacophony. His expression was murderous, brow so furrowed that his eyes were barely slits. It took Yuri a moment to realize that his left eye had been squinted shut.

All three brothers turned to Yuri as he suddenly shot to his feet. Conrart was asking something, but Yuri could not make out the words.

"It's coming from the Tomb!" he yelled over his shoulder, already sprinting for the stables. "We have to go to the Tomb of the Great One!"

Whether they heard him or not, they all followed, Conrart helping Wolfram to his feet and Gwendal bringing up in the rear with a muffled curse.

The horses had panicked in the confusion, bucking against their restraints despite the soldiers' efforts to calm them. Yuri hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to waste time going to the Tomb on foot, but there's no way he'd be able to ride with the horses in this state.

Then, Conrart was moving past him, reaching for one of the steeds. Something about his actions or even his sheer presence allowed him to quickly gain control of the animal, though it continued to stamp the ground uneasily.

Barely pausing to check on Wolfram and Gwendal - making efforts to gain steeds of their own - Yuri let Conrart pull him up into the saddle, and two took off, out the gates, down through the city and toward the Tomb.

The capital was in a state of panic, and Yuri could see why as he looked up. The sky had suddenly and unnaturally darkened, and there was something in the air that made him shiver. He could feel Conrart react too, his muscles tensing, where he hung on to the man.

As they hit the road up the mountain, Yuri chanced a glance back. Not far behind, Wolfram and Gwendal were steadily following them. For a moment, Yuri wondered if he should try to make them stay back.

'That reaction... Wolfram also has a Key?' Yuri wondered. 'Murata said that all four Keys would be necessary if we went with his plan, but he also said that we didn't need to worry about finding them. He must have known...'

Even Yuri was not naive enough to believe it was a coincidence.

His expression darkening with equal measures of anger and worry, Yuri glanced up toward the Tomb. Something malevolent could be seen rising up from the stone structure, spreading outward, farther and farther. 'I made Murata wait because I disagreed with his plan,' he thought. 'But we might not have any other choice now... Maybe it's for the best if they come.'

He still had no idea how to save the Great One or destroy the Originators without following Murata's stupid plan.

The guards at the Tomb looked toward them with scared, hopeful faces, parting quickly to let their party through.

"Your Majesty!" one of the shrine maidens exclaimed. "It's Lady Ulrike and His Eminence! They went into the Great One's chamber and..." She gestured helplessly, at the foul atmosphere that was only growing thicker.

"All of you need to leave, right now," Yuri ordered. He continued, raising his voice over the shrine maidens' protests, "Don't worry about taking anything, just go, all of you! Get to Covenant Castle!"

Yuri glanced at Gwendal, knowing that he hadn't given the man much time to leave proper orders.

"Tell them to have the troops calm the citizens and begin evacuation, just in case," Gwendal said, his voice sharp and cold, for all that his frustration was not directed at the young women. "Gunter will handle the rest."

The shrine maidens exchanged uneasy glances, but none of them were willing to disobey a direct order from the Demon King. With surprising speed and order, they passed his command amongst themselves, assembled and began to move out.

Yuri and his party headed into the shrine, against the flow of white robed figures. But soon, even the hurried steps of the shrine maidens faded away into tense silence as they neared the inner sanctum.

The great doors had been blown open, one completely ripped off its hinges. Yuri ran the last stretch, narrowly cornering to burst into the Great One's chapter. The scene that greeted him made Yuri stumble in shock.

Ulrike's prone form lay halfway down the chamber, where she had been blasted away. Her long silver hair trailed around her, drifting in the shallow water that had overflowed the drains along the walls and flowed swiftly outward from the altar.

In front of the altar itself, Murata had managed to remain in place, his arms stretched out as he struggled to contain the dark power surging out of the Boxes. It swirled above him, heavy and roiling, ready to crash down at any moment.

"Take care of Ulrike!" Yuri called over his shoulder. He ran to Murata's side, raising his hands and calling on his own power. Like before, their magic easily merged together, growing even stronger.

Behind them, Conrart and Wolfram knelt next to Ulrike, gently propping her up as the Oracle began to stir. Her eyes slid open, unfocused for a moment, before everything came rushing back to her.

She gasped, trying to sit up. "I heard... I heard the Great One's voice," she murmured, her eyes widening. "He said..."

Her head snapped toward the altar and the two boys standing before it, straining to hold back the Originators' power. Her tiny form began to tremble as tears gathered in her eyes.

"Lady Ulrike!" Gwendal snapped, dragging her out of her thoughts.

Ulrike's gaze darted to them, face drawn in fear and desperation. "We have to get away!" she said suddenly. "The Great One... it's too late. They've found a way past his seal!"

It took all of Yuri's concentration to keep pushing the leaking darkness back, but Murata glanced back at her words. His brow furrowed in confusion, before he seemed to suddenly understand.

Light flared above them, from the Great One's crest. Biting off a curse, Murata abandoned his task. He grabbed Yuri and began to pull him away, but they didn't get far before they were thrown off their feet, as the entire Tomb trembled suddenly.

The Boxes flared with dark power, and the crest exploded above them. Chunks of rock rained down over the Demon Tribesmen, making them duck for cover.

Murata recovered first. Without even glancing back, he quickly rolled off Yuri and dragged him to his feet. But when he tried to pull Yuri toward the others, he found his friend rooted in place.

Yuri was staring at the altar, his eyes wide in shock. As the others pulled themselves up, following his gaze, they froze as well, unable to believe their eyes.

Even without turning, Murata could imagine what they saw. Futilely, for a moment, he closed his eyes and desperately wished it wasn't so.

The furiously struggling power of the four Boxes had calmed to a steady pulsing. In the middle of them stood a faintly glowing figure, looking down on the Demon Tribesmen like a great ruler from on high. The face, the features were all terribly familiar and revered - from the paintings that had been painstakingly reproduced - all belonging to the great founder of their kingdom.

"The Great One..." someone murmured in horrified shock.

However, there was no mistaking the aura that clung to him like a reaper's dark cloak. Ulrike's stifled sob rang through the suddenly silent chamber.

Even Yuri, who had known the truth of the situation, that this was a real possibility, felt stunned at the sight.

The Great One's eyes were still the same clear blue as three years ago, when he had still been struggling to remain himself. But the expression on his handsome face was completely different, cold and sneering.

Murata was the one to break the silence. Finally turning, he casually greet his old friend, "Hey. It's been a while."

The Great One smiled - smirked. "It has," he agreed with false casualness. "But thanks to all your hard work, I've finally returned. Well done."

His eyes swept over their group, lingering on Conrart.

He took a step toward them, his ugly smile widening. "Gathering all four Boxes, bringing together all four Keys... with this, I will finally possess the power I need."

One hand trailed over the lid of a Box. Against the aged wood, it was clear that his form remained insubstantial, still translucent and wavering like a mirage. As he moved forward, stepping past the Boxes, they could see that his legs and cloak faded into the shadows, making it seem as if he was floating, rather than walking.

"So what are you planning to do now?" Murata asked, pushing up his glasses. He seemed to be the only one capable of reacting in this situation.

"I will complete my return," the Great One said easily, spreading his arms to show his incomplete state. "Then... I will destroy all of our enemies and all those that oppose me. It's what I should have done from the start."

Murata let his eyes close for a moment, drawing a deep, shaking breath. 'I see. It's just as he feared.'

He smiled bitterly and murmured, "But it's alright. I'll fulfill your last request." Raising his voice, Murata called out, "Shibuya. Are you ready? It's time."

Yuri glanced at him, startled out of his own desperately spiraling thoughts.

"W-what? No, wait!" Yuri stammered, his eyes darting between his friend and the ghost slowly moving toward them, one measured step at a time. "Murata, there has to be another way!"

"There isn't!" Murata snapped, his voice cracking like a whip through the dark chamber. His clenched fists shook, and his entire body tensed like a taut wire. He yelled, "I don't want this either! But there isn't any other way! It's what he asked for! To stop him when he becomes a monster that desires to destroy everything..."

His outburst startled Yuri into silence.

"...That had been a foolish thing to say," the Great One said quietly, his voice almost gentle. "I didn't understand back then. This power is exactly what we needed. With it, I can finally bring peace to the Demon Kingdom and protect it from all those that would threaten us."

Murata bared his gritted teeth, rage barely held back. 'Making a mockery of not just his face and form, but even his wishes and ideal...' he thought furiously. 'It's too much. You've got no right!'

He glanced up, ready to snap at Yuri again, but the look on the other's face made him pause. Hope, understanding and determination passed across his features in quick succession. His reaction was the opposite of Murata's.

"...I see. I understand!" Yuri exclaimed. "The four thousand years you spent watching over everyone couldn't be forgotten so easily! You're still trying to protect everyone even now, even if you've lost your way!"

"Shibuya..." Murata whispered, staring in shock.

To him, the things the Great One was saying represented a mockery of his old friend's ideals. No matter how stubborn, occasionally arrogant, and generally trying the Wiseman had considered his friend, the Great One had never abused his great power and always sought to convince everyone to believe in him, rather than simply forcing them to obey.

He would have never wanted to destroy all those that opposed him. He would have never considered a peace created on the bodies of enemies to be true peace.

But... Yuri was right. The Great One's wish still remained, if distorted: to protect his people, to create a nation of their own, to usher in an age of peace.

Yuri's dark eyes met the Great One's suddenly blank gaze. "You're still there! You still haven't given up. I swear, I'll keep my promise. And I won't give up on you either."

Squaring his shoulders, he took a step toward the ghostly figure of the Great One.

"Your Majesty! Yuri!" Conrart called out, some instinct driving him to reach for Yuri.

The distance between them was too great. There was no chance he would reach Yuri in time, and Murata, standing beside Yuri, remained motionless.

He had felt it too - that instinctive knowledge that Yuri was about to rush in again. Still, Murata couldn't bring himself to stop Yuri.

'Shibuya, I'll believe in you,' he thought, desperately. 'So please... please...'

Even the Great One - or perhaps the Originators moving his form - watched Yuri motionlessly, unable to understand his actions.

Yuri's magic flared, burning away the clinging shadows and clearing a path for him. Finally breaking out of their stupor, the Originators tried to draw away, but it was too late. The Demon King reached out, and, shining with a bright aura, his hand slipped easily through the cloak of darkness around the Great One, through the shadows and into his translucent chest.

The Great One's form rippled, and a demonic visage superimposed itself over his features. It let out an inhuman roar, sending shadows surging at the Demon King. Its gaping maw opened wide, looming over him like a tsunami of darkness.

Yuri refused to waver. His narrowed eyes stared into the Great One's wavering features, and he focused on the memory of their previous meeting, the feeling of their souls intersecting for a single moment...

His finger grasped something indescribably warm, just as the darkness surged forward, the Great One's ghostly form dissolving into shadow. Yuri yanked his hand back, that soft, warm light in his palm, and snapped his arm back, flinging it behind him.

In the next moment, the darkness crashed down onto Yuri, engulfing him completely.

~.~.~

((Ha, ha, ha, splat.))


	45. VI-7 Hand in hand

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: The seal is broken.

~.~.~

**Part VI, Chapter 7**

_Hand in hand_

~.~.~

Dark, malevolent energy ripped through the inner sanctum of the tomb, forcing the Demon Tribesmen to duck.

When the pressure of overwhelming power and soul-deep terror finally lifted, they gasped for breath, shaking.

"Yuri!" Conrart yelled, scrambling to his feet.

The ghostly figure of the Great One was gone. Yuri knelt where he had been standing, his slumped form completely still.

"Yuri! Are you alright?" Conrart called again, running to his king's side.

Finally snapping out of his daze, Murata darted forward to grab his arm and hold him back. Conrart tried to pull away reflexively, glaring down at the Wiseman. But Murata shook his head, something dreading and scared passing over his face.

"Stay back," Murata muttered. "I don't know... if that's..."

Abruptly, Yuri stood as if jerked to his feet on invisible strings. He slowly raised his hands, flexing them experimentally, his head still bowed. He shoulders began to quake. A strange, sound escaped him, only to be cut off before they could judge what it was.

'Is he fighting the Originator?' Murata wondered. He wished desperately he could believe that. But...

Yuri threw his head back and laughed.

Mouth wide open, teeth bared, he looked more like a beast howling to the sky.

"Ah..." Yuri drew out, his voice breaking oddly. His arms wrapped around his own body, hands clawing into the black cloth of his jacket. "Got it... Got it! A body!"

Throwing his arms wide, he laughed, again and again.

~.~.~

Yuri fell into darkness. It was impossibly deep, without limits. He couldn't even see his own hand, reaching out toward nothing.

He lost all sense of direction. Time had no meaning. Even the feeling of his body had disappeared. It was becoming hard to remember where he ended and the endless darkness began.

'Don't give up.'

A gentle voice echoed through his mind, starling Yuri. A phantom hand slipped into his.

'You're...' Yuri wanted to say, but his voice had no sound. '...Julia.'

He could feel her smile. Even if he couldn't see anything, he could imagine her countenance.

'Oh, I see,' Yuri mused vaguely. 'It's like three years ago. My own strength wasn't enough, so I reached into the memories of my soul again. That's what this is, the depths of my self.'

'That's right,' came Julia's voice again. 'But this is too deep. You can't stay here. You mustn't give up. Keep fighting!'

'How...'

How do I fight it? He couldn't move his body, he couldn't call on his magic. He felt utterly helpless.

'Don't give up,' Julia murmured in his mind. 'Don't give into the darkness. You must fight it, push it away.'

'I will,' Yuri thought, steeling himself. She was right. He couldn't give up. It wasn't over! 'I will!'

Her phantom hand tightened around his and pulled.

The next moment, he gasped, as if coming up for air, and his eyes snapped open. What greeted him was a familiar, longed-for sight.

Around him was his family's home - the kitchen where his mother cooked her famous curry, the table where they ate so many meals together, the couch where he and his father watched baseball, the stairs up to the bedrooms.

"How... how can I be here?" Yuri wondered, stunned. "Am I really back on Earth?"

It certainly looked like his family home. It felt the same too, in some indescribable way.

But... Yuri's eyes widened as he glanced out the window. The neighbor's house, the street he had ridden his bike down so many times - none of that could be seen. Instead, beyond his mother's flowery curtains, there was only deep, infinite darkness.

Yuri ran to the patio door, his hands pressing against the sliding screen, but it was the same. The patio, the backyard, all of it was missing.

"Oh..." Yuri realized, his eyes widening. "This is the darkness of the Originators. So this must be... inside my heart."

Swallowing heavily, he drew away from the glass door. His palms felt numb. 'It's getting stronger,' Yuri thought.

Yuri shook his head, fingers clenching around the pendant under his shirt. "What do I do now?" he wondered instead. This wasn't where he needed to be. He needed to wake up, go back to where his friends were. He needed to stop the Originators. He couldn't afford to dawdle here, deep in his own heart. But no matter how Yuri looked...

There was no way out.

~.~.~

The warped laughter trailed off, and Yuri's form straightened.

"Got it, finally got a body..." he repeated, grinning widely. Teeth bared, it was a predator's smile. "No one else's. No one here..." He chuckled again.

Forcing himself out of his stupor, Murata took a step back, then another. He tugged on Conrart's arm, trying to pull the man after him.

His mind spun furiously as Murata tried to make sense of the situation. 'Have we failed?' he wondered, a cold knot of dread gathering in his stomach. 'No, the Originator is still gathered together in one. It hasn't begun to infect anyone. But what about Shibuya? Has he been possessed? Something isn't right here. It doesn't sound like him at all...'

"No one here. Don't need 'em," Yuri continued to mutter. "Ah... Don't need anyone, anything. So it should just vanish."

'That's not Shibuya,' Murata thought, his grip on Conrart tightening as they continued to retreat. 'Then... is it the Originator itself? Is this what it's like when it has no one to serve as its mask?'

Reaching out, Yuri lightly touched one of the Boxes, which pulsed in response. "Mm. Just destroy it. Destroy everything… with this."

He turned abruptly, blank dark eyes fixing on Conrart, who couldn't help flinching at the sight. The absent, mad expression was completely alien on Yuri's usually smiling face.

"There is it. Key," the Originator murmured, Yuri's face splitting into an insane grin. His eyes slid behind Conrart and Murata, onto Gwendal and then Wolfram. "And another. And the last." The Originator laughed again, an unsettling, inhuman sound.

"Yuri? Are you there, Yuri?" Conrart called out, his body tensing as the Originator's gaze returned to him. He couldn't see even a hint of his young king in that face. Still, he continued, "I know you're in there, Yuri! Don't give up! And… we won't give up either."

"Lord Weller… we can't let it loose," Murata cautioned him. "Shibuya… Shibuya might not be able to wake up. We have to stop the Originator here, no matter what."

"I know," Conrart said quietly, steeling his heart. As he slowly drew his sword, his hands were shaking. He tried to will them to be still. Even if this was what Yuri would have wanted, drawing his sword on his king, on Yuri, was just too much.

Behind them, Gwendal passed Ulrike, still dazed and trembling, to Wolfram. "Take her and go," he ordered tersely.

"But, Brother-" Wolfram tried to protest.

Gwendal silenced him with a glare. It wasn't just his concern that drove him. From the moment he had understood that he held one of the Keys - and Conrart held another - he had considered the possibility that Wolfram could hold a third. It was cruel to imagine his mother's life being so dictated, but he was hard pressed to believe it a coincidence either.

When the Originator's gaze had lingered on Wolfram in the same way as on Conrart and Gwendal, he'd known his suspicions were correct.

But if it was his eye and Conrart's arm, then all that could be required of Wolfram was his heart or his blood. Losing either would be the end of his brother.

"Go," Gwendal said sharply.

Wolfram wavered for only a moment longer before gathering Ulrike in his arms and beginning to back away. Unfortunately, it was already too late.

The Originator regarded Conrart for a moment before chuckling again. It spread Yuri's hands, and darkness surged outward, flowing along the floor and the walls. Conrart jumped back instinctively, and Murata quickly threw up a glowing barrier, protecting them and the trio behind them.

But the Originator's goal had been entirely different. A shadow seal appeared across the doorway, blocking their only way out.

Conrart didn't hesitate this time. He attacked immediately, his sword swinging unrelentingly at Yuri's form. The Originator didn't even attempt to dodge. It simply caught the blade with Yuri's hand, gripping it with surprising force. Even after a moment, no blood appeared, despite the sword's sharpness.

Twisting the weapon, Conrart forced the Originator to let go and yanked his sword back. A glimpse of Yuri's open palm showed that it was still completely undamaged, covered instead in a faint dark aura. Glancing at his sword, Conrart saw something that almost looked like black rust beginning to appear on the surface of the blade, where the Originator had gripped.

The Originator smirked, lifting Yuri's hand again. Dark energy shot out, giving Conrart no time to dodge. He tried to block with his sword, but even though he himself escaped unscathed, the blade snapped at the corroded point, leaving him without a weapon, for all the good having one had done him.

Yuri's eyes were fixed on Conrart as the Originator advanced toward him, yet it didn't appear surprised when Gwendal dashed forward to attack it. Dark power flared along Yuri's arm, and the Originator swung it out to block Gwendal's sword. The impact should have had enough force to shatter the bones of Yuri's arm, even if the edge could not cut him, but the Originator did not even seem to feel it.

Instead, it raised Yuri's other hand and, with a twisted gentleness, cupped it around Gwendal's left eye. Dark power surged, and Gwendal's strangled scream echoed off the stone walls.

"Got it," the Originator muttered, letting the man's trembling body collapse.

"Hear me, spirits who dwell in flame! Obey the Demon Tribe, who defeated your Originators!" Wolfram roared, the light of his fire magic flaring through the shadowed chamber.

The flames washed over Yuri's form, leaving him ultimately unharmed, but a frown had appeared on his face. "Did not," the Originator hissed, an ugly scowl contorting Yuri's features.

It swept a hand out casually, the motion different than the prior ones. Wolfram realized what it had done a moment too late - shadows had flowed quickly along the floor, almost unnoticeable in gloom. They wrapped around his legs, and Wolfram just barely managed to toss Ulrike clear before he was pulled off his feet.

He was dragged toward Yuri's form, and a hand wrapped around his throat, lifting him with shocking ease. Wolfram glared down at Yuri's face, twisted in a parody of a smile. The dark eyes that stared back were completely devoid of recognition or any sign of their kindhearted king.

"Y… Yuri…" Wolfram gritted out, struggling for breath. "You wimp. You… better not've… given up-"

His words were abruptly cut off, as Yuri's other hand rose, dark energy gathering around it, and suddenly plunged straight into Wolfram's chest. He screamed, certain he could feel it grasping at his heart, his soul, something deep and vital, fluttering as it tried to escape the black, cold touch.

"Wolfram!" Conrart yelled. He thrust his broken sword at Yuri's unprotected back, but as before, it had no effect. Desperately, Conrart grabbed Yuri's shoulder, trying to pull him away from his brother.

He realized his mistake too late.

Shadows curled around his left hand, winding their way up his arm. A terrible smile spread across Yuri's face.

~.~.~

Yuri had tried everything he could think of, but he was no closer to finding a way out. The house in his heart stood empty, darkness pressing against the windows and the doors, slowing creeping in through the cracks.

There was nothing he could do.

Frustrated and helpless, Yuri curled up on his seat at the table and peered around his family's home once more. Every detail seemed perfect, and it still felt just like it should. However, Yuri couldn't help but know that it was wrong somehow as well.

The table and the counters were all clean. The pillows were perfectly arranged. Every single thing was in its place. Had their house ever looked like that? Despite Miko's best efforts, one of her boys always managed to make some small mess somewhere. They forgot their things on the couch, dropped their bags on the table, left their shoes lying askew in the entryway.

Now, everything was exactly in its place. There were no personal effects gracing the rooms. This house had the same walls, the same furniture, the same decorations as Yuri's home, but there was no sign of anyone living there.

The house was completely empty. He was alone.

"It's all wrong," Yuri muttered. "Is my heart really empty like this?"

There was no answer.

Pulling his legs up, Yuri buried his face in his knees. He was completely alone now - his family was separated from him forever, his friends couldn't reach him from the real world, and even his other self was gone. He didn't know what to do.

'I'm so useless. I can't do anything alone,' he thought, feeling tears of frustration well up in his eyes. Without his friends, he was completely lost. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't think of any way out. What would they say, if they saw him now?

"You wimp. You better not've given up!"

'Yeah, that's just what Wolf would say...' Yuri thought, a small, crooked smile tugging at his lips. His voice had sounded so close, so real that Yuri could almost believe his friend was with him, sitting across the table. He could imagine the way Wolfram would glare and huff in frustration at how wimpy Yuri was being-

Slowly, Yuri raised his head, his eyes widening at the impossible sight before him.

It was completely bizarre, something that could never occur.

Wolfram, still in his full uniform, looked completely out of place sitting at his parents' kitchen table. His fierce gaze met Yuri's, and he suddenly lunged across the table to grasp Yuri's hand. Pulling Yuri toward himself, halfway across the table, Wolfram barked, "Well?! What are you sitting around for, you wimp? You're the king! Everyone is waiting for you to make your move!"

"I don't know what to do!" Yuri protested reflexively, his mind still reeling with shock. "I can't do this alone!"

He flinched as a warm hand rested on his shoulder, a familiar presence at his back. "But you're not alone, Your Majesty… Yuri," Conrart said, smiling gently. "We are with you."

"But you're not!" Yuri insisted. "I don't know what's going on, but you're not really here. I'm alone because I went rushing in, and now…" He bit his lip, frustrated at his own uselessness.

A quiet snort made Yuri snap his head to the side. Gwendal leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "You're certainly a fool," he agreed. "Yet, you are our king. We will follow you. No matter where, no matter how far, how long. _That is the vow we made._"

'_Our vow..._'

'What vow?' Yuri wondered, staring at Gwendal. The man's figure seemed to grow more distant, changing even as his features stayed the same.

'_The vow we made, to follow our King, to remain beside him no matter what. To continue to fight together, until the Originator was no more._'

"You're not Gwendal," Yuri said slowly, shaking his head. The face was the same, the demeanor similar, but the man before him now was someone else, dressed in clothing that appeared ancient and looking at Yuri with an expression he didn't recognize.

Yuri glanced back at Conrart, looking for answers or even just reassurance. But Conrart was also gone, in his place a stranger with the same face.

Almost hesitantly, he turned toward the place Wolfram had sat. The hand on his arm was still warm, small yet strong, but the face had changed, a little softer and rounder than Wolfram's features.

Yuri pulled away, staring uncertainly at the young man before him. Not-Conrart had drawn back as well, but all of them were still watching him with a strange look.

'No, they're not looking at me,' Yuri thought. 'Just like I'm not looking at them. They're seeing...'

'_The four of us made that vow, four thousand years ago,_' the same voice repeated, inside his heart, inside his _soul_. '_And we have continued to bear it, even in death and rebirth. Did you forget, our king?_'

A promise made four thousand years ago, to the first king - the Great One.

_...My friends..._

~.~.~

_...I'm so sorry..._

"Great One?" Ulrike whispered, as light began to shine from between her tightly clenched fingers. Hesitantly, she parted her hands, revealing the tiny orb of light she had held between them. It flickered, like an uneven heartbeat.

Yuri's body had frozen, and his head slowly turned to look down at the priestess. The sound that left his mouth was utterly inhuman - a hiss and a growl, filled with twisted, indecipherable emotion.

The Originator's dark power flared, a wave of shadow bearing down on Ulrike. With her magic still spent from attempting to maintain the seal, all she could do was curl around the orb of light - the soul - in her grasp to shield it with her body. But the same warm, golden glow burst forth again, protecting her in turn.

The disembodied soul floated upward, glowing ever brighter, until its light and power coalesced into an almost solid form. It's outlines sharpened and color spread - deep red and vivid blue among shining gold - and a man, still half-translucent, like a ghost, could be seen crouched in front of Ulrike, shielding her from the darkness.

His blue eyes opened, and he stood slowly.

His gaze swept across the tableau before him - Gwendal kneeling, still clutching his sightless left eye; Wolfram barely conscious, dangling in the Originator's grasp, Yuri's hand buried deep in his chest; Conrart, trying to help both his brother and king; Murata and Ulrike staring at him in awe and mixed, uncertain happiness; the Originator certain in its victory, anticipatory and hungering.

They all knew - this battle had already been lost.

"_That's enough,_" his voice echoed through the chamber and in everyone's minds. His expression "_My friends, you've borne this burden for far too long. Now, I release you._"

It felt like the world held its breath.

"_I release the seal._"

At the altar, the four Forbidden Boxes burst open.

~.~.~

((Next time: FINAL.))


	46. VI-8 One day

~.~.~

Title: Maoh, A Day Late

Summary: The end. Or is it?

Notes: I don't know. And I don't care anymore. Whatever, guys. Just... whatever.

~.~.~

**Part VI, Chapter 8 [Final]**

_One day_

~.~.~

In this world, there are four objects that must never be touched. Should their dark power be unleashed, betrayal, despair and death will cover the world. The skies will darken, the earth will rend, and all shall be drowned in a sea of tears.

That is how the Forbidden Boxes were described to the children of the Demon Tribe - the legend of their ancestors' triumph and their descendants' duty.

When Adalbert had been told the story, he had just snorted and rolled his eyes.

He had believed it to be just a fairytale. He had sneered at Small Cimaron's quest to obtain a Box and a Key, though he had still followed through with their request. Even after witnessing the devastation wrought by the Box in Caloria, he hadn't fully given credence to the old stories.

The most powerful weapons in existence, perhaps, but capable of ending the world itself?

Now… he understood.

Adalbert had almost reached the capital when the first signs appeared. His horse - and all the others as well - had bucked suddenly, as flocks of birds took to the air, crying in panic. He had felt a shiver go down his spine, together with a directionless sense of danger.

Instinctively, he had turned his horse around. It wasn't the capital city he needed to reach. It was the Tomb.

That sensation of almost mindless terror, pressing down on him relentlessly, had grown stronger and stronger as he approached the white stone fortress of the Great One's final resting place. And then…

A shockwave ripped outward. The earth trembled, the wind howled. Adalbert and his horse were both knocked down completely. The animal recovered first, climbing to its feet and running desperately, even as the ground continued to shake.

Adalbert didn't spare it even a glance. He gaze was fixed on the Tomb - on the pillar of darkness spiraling up from it. It wasn't smoke, but something more like tangible shadow. It rose to the sky and began to spread like falling night. A moment later, the same shadows surged across the earth, making Adalbert stumble as they tangled his legs.

Snarling, he gripped his sword. It glowed with the esoteric stones' light, cutting easily through the shadows. But the moment after, the darkness reformed, its wounds closing off as if it had never been cut in the first place.

Barely keeping on his feet as the earth roiled and the wind continued to howl, Adalbert broke into a run. The Tomb was just ahead. That was the source of it all.

"What the hell did you do?" he wondered, anger and terror twisting into a single heavy weight.

It really felt like the world was ending.

~.~.~

Wolfram, Conrart, Gwendal - or even the strangers who had taken their places - had disappeared as the darkness swept through Yuri's mindscape. He reached for them futilely, but his hand passed through the remnants of the apparitions, reminding him that his friends had never really been there.

"...I heard the Great One," Yuri muttered to himself, drawing back. "So he got free after all. That's good. But, he said… Was the seal on the Originators really undone? He wouldn't have, right?"

But, placing a hand over his heart, Yuri knew that the seal was gone. He had felt it - something had been... untied in his soul, some binding he had never even noticed had been released.

"That terrible darkness has been released into the world again," Yuri whispered. He swallowed heavily, trying to hold back a sob. "...It's all my fault. Because I rushed off alone…"

'_That was foolish, but you meant well._'

The same voice that had spoken before echoed through Yuri's mind. But now…

He spun around, feeling a presence at his back.

A man's figure greeted him. Like the others, he wore clothing that looked like something straight out of a history book. Something about his presence was almost painfully familiar. Yuri knew him.

He - like those three - had helped the Great One seal the four Forbidden Boxes. He was Julia's ancestor, the first Lord Von Wincott.

"Earhart," Yuri murmured, his wide eyes meeting the man's calm, deep blue. A reserved but kind smile spread across the apparition's face.

'_You made the same mistake as the Great One, thinking you had to do everything alone,_' Earhart said, looking down at Yuri with something almost like fondness. '_And both of you did something foolhardy out of kindness. Both of you... are such fools. Always causing trouble to those around you, for your loyal vassals... your friends._'

Yuri ducked his head, blushing helplessly. Murata had said the same thing, hadn't he? But he had still always supported Yuri. And now... Yuri had let him down, at the most crucial moment.

'_It's alright,_' Earhart told him, reaching up to ruffle Yuri's hair. His touch was faint and ghostly, but also strangely warm. '_Just like your friends have supported you, we never stopped supporting the Great One. We have always wanted him to be able to depend on us. The things he couldn't do, the things he didn't think of, we did instead._'

He leaned down, his face level with Yuri's, as his hand slid to rest in the middle of Yuri's chest. Julia's pendant was cupped in the center of his palm, its faint glow visible somehow even through the fabric of Yuri's black jacket.

'_He took upon himself a great burden,_' Earhart continued. '_But this is where we do our part. To find the path he couldn't find alone._'

No, Yuri realized, it was Earhart's pendant, passed down in his family for four thousand years. The most powerful Demon Stone, capable of holding even all the feelings of a living heart.

'_This is the answer I devised._'

And what were the Originators, but parasites borne of the darkest feelings of a heart?

'_That, which will take the sacrifice's place. A glass heart, to be shattered without regrets._'

Standing so close to Earhart, Yuri understood everything - his anger and regret when he found out what the Great One had done, without telling any of them, his lifelong search for some way to save his king, without rendering all their struggles meaningless, and finally the method he came up with and entrusted to his descendants.

"I see," Yuri said quietly, as Earhart stepped back. "I really am lucky, aren't I? There's always someone to help me, to give me the answer I need. Okay! I'll do it! You can leave it to me!" He looked up, his expression filling with determination.

Nodding in approval, the Wincott ancestor backed away, his form fading into the shadows until all that remained was a final glimpse of his smile.

However, even though Yuri had said that, he knew that carrying through with this plan would not be easy. He would need to force the Originators into the demon stone, and before that, he would need to force them from his body.

Could he really do it?

"What am I thinking?" Yuri wondered. "That doesn't matter! I have to try! Whether I can or I can't, I won't give up without even trying!"

'I won't let it end like this. I'll keep on fighting,' he repeated to himself over and over again.

Drawing in on himself, Yuri focused on all the reasons he had to keep fighting. The world that would be engulfed in darkness if he just gave up, the people who would be put in danger - Heathcrife and his cute daughter, somewhere in Cavalcade, who had supported his attempts at peace, Antoine and Layla, in Francia, who had found strength to fight, Flynn and Alford, in Caloria, who were rebuilding despite the devastation.

The Demon Kingdom, which he had become ruler of. The Demon Tribe who had accepted him as one of theirs. Miss Celi, with her brother and Raven, who had entrusted the kingdom to him. Miss Anissina, with her inventions and determination, who tried to help in her own way. Gunter, at the castle, always covering for Yuri's weaknesses and believing in him for all that he lacked.

Gwendal, Wolfram and Conrart, who had supported him through all his crazy, stupid schemes.

Murata, who had put his faith in Yuri and held back, believing in him.

(Shori, his parents, who had done their best for him even knowing that they would have to say goodbye one day...)

For all of them, and for all the people that had come before them, creating the world where they had lived, he would do this.

He wouldn't fail.

~.~.~

The force of the Four Boxes being unsealed was enough to blast open the roof of the chamber. The unleashed darkness roared upward, into the open sky.

The moment the seal released, the Originator lost interest in Conrart and Wolfram. Yuri's body drew away from them, releasing both from the dark power that bound them. A small, bright light dropped out of Yuri's hand like a forgotten marble. It glimmered, hovering, then shot toward Gwendal, letting his left eye blink open again.

To all three of them, it seemed like a poor trade for what had been unleashed instead.

"It's over," Ulrike murmured, helpless tears gathering in her eyes. "The Originators have been unleashed once more…"

"No," Murata said quietly after a moment, his voice strained, "there's still a chance."

The others turned to him with hope in their eyes, but Murata appeared almost stricken. As he hesitated, the Great One's ghostly form closed its eyes and bowed its head.

"All of this is just the Originator's power, not part of its being. Its will is still within one vessel," he finally said, forcing the words out. "If we destroy it now, the Originator will be gone forever…"

They glanced at the Originator, which still stood in front of the altar, Yuri's arms raised to the sky amongst the flow of its power.

As if feeling their gaze, it turned Yuri's head to look at them. The expression on Yuri's face was dismissive as one arm lowered and swung outward lazily.

Dark power surged, far stronger than it had been before. Reflexively, they ducked, even knowing it would do them little good.

However, the wave of shadows never reached them, parting instead against a golden barrier that appeared as the Great One raised one spectral arm. The two auras clashed before nullifying each other and fading away.

The Originator smirked, looking at the Great One disdainfully. "Don't need you. Useless. Got a body," it told him, patting Yuri's chest and chuckling unevenly.

The Great One's expression hardened, pained but unyielding. "_I'm sorry,_" he said quietly, his ethereal voice echoing through their minds. "_I am truly sorry. You were not meant to be the one sacrificed. But there is no other choice._"

His arm rose, his golden power gathering again, as the Originator simply smirked and mirrored him.

"Wait!" Wolfram darted forward, reaching out to stop the Great One. His hand passed through the first king's spectral arm, but Wolfram moved instead to stand between the Great One and the Originator. "The vessel the Originator is inside, the one you're going to destroy - that's Yuri?! You can't do that!"

His eyes darted to Murata, looking for some sign, anything to help him. But the Great Wiseman averted his gaze, his glasses catching the light of the Great One's aura.

Gritting his teeth, Wolfram refused to give up. "Are you really going to sacrifice Yuri, just like that?" he demanded, glaring at the Great One, into the face so similar to his own. Founder of their nation or not, Wolfram wouldn't accept that.

"Please wait," Conrart spoke up, joining Wolfram. "Yuri hasn't given up yet, I'm sure of it. So please, don't give up on him!"

The Great One hesitated, sadness, regret, and self-loathing playing across his face. He didn't want to do it either. He wanted to believe in Yuri, wanted there to be some other path. But neither he nor his Wiseman had seen any way out, any way around it.

Caught up in their struggle, they had turned their back on the real threat. The Originator's dark power slammed into them, lashing out so quickly it caught them all completely off guard.

"Pointless. Fools," the Originator chided, shaking Yuri's head jeeringly. "No one's here."

It raised one hand, shadows surging again. The Great One hastily threw up another barrier, but the Originator's power had grown, and with the seal now gone, it quickly began to overwhelm him.

Suddenly, magic leapt past the party, running along the ground to explode at Yuri's feet, catching the Originator off guard. Pillars of earth burst up, knocking the Originator back and forming a temporary wall between it and the Demon Tribesmen.

For an instance, Wolfram thought that Gwendal had been the one to act, but as he turned, his eye fell on an expected figure crouched in the doorway. Grunting, Adalbert rose to his feet and let his gaze sweep over their group.

"A fine mess you've made," he muttered. "So that kid got himself made into a puppet? Should've known he was all talk."

"Shut up!" Wolfram snapped. "Yuri's still there! He'll turn it around! You can't just... just sacrifice him like that!" He had turned to the Great One, still blocking his way, for all the good it would do.

Again, the Great One hesitated, glancing at Wolfram with the same strained expression.

Adalbert snorted derisively. "Whyever not? Sacrificing people is what our great founder does," he said, his voice full of old, cutting bitterness. "Are you backing down now? What happened to your grand plan? Was Julia's sacrifice meaningless?"

"_...I had no wish to..._"

But the Great One's whispered admission seemed to only infuriate Adalbert.

"And yet you did!" Adalbert yelled. "Julia… Julia was sacrificed! It was for this, wasn't it? So why are you hesitating now? What's one more sacrifice?!"

"_I never intended to sacrifice anyone!_" The Great One's voice rang through the chamber. "_I was supposed to be the one who would carry that weight! But... She couldn't. Her heart and soul were both so strong, but her body was too weak. From birth... even if her magic was strong, she wouldn't have been able to wield Morgif!_"

Slowly, Adalbert shook his head, trying to deny what the Great One was saying. Julia had always been so full of life, always in motion despite her blindness, that it was easy to forget that she had been born with a weak body. Her constitution had remained delicate, even as she insisted on joining the army as a healer.

He could still remember how light and fragile she felt in his arms.

Julia... Julia was strong. But she could never have held a sword.

"That?! That is the reason Julia died?! I can't accept that!" Adalbert raged. That she could not fight? That she could not lift a sword? No, that wasn't enough. It could never be enough. Julia was so much more than any of that.

"_There wasn't enough time,_" the Great One said, every word pleading and strangled. "_I couldn't... I wished she could live out her life, but I was out of time. It had gotten too close, I couldn't wait another lifetime. She knew and... she gave up the rest of her time to her successor, so he could grow up to be the king our country needed._"

He lowered his head as an uneasy silence filled the chamber, his voice only in their hearts and minds.

"_But now, he's..._"

Behind the stone wall Adalbert had erected, the Originator had paused. It studied at the rock formation with a detached curiosity, or perhaps simply bemusement. Adalbert's ability to mix both esoteric and spirit-based magic was unique and almost unnatural, since the two were close to diametrically opposed. Reaching out with Yuri's hand, the Originator laid a palm against the stone.

Finally losing interest, it gathered its power.

The rock formation exploded, clouds of dust and shards of stone sent flying across the chamber, forcing the Demon Tribesmen to duck.

Only the Great One remained motionless, his insubstantial form unaffected by the debris or the gusts of displaced air. His silhouette wavered, appearing to shudder.

"_But he's the same - sacrificing himself to cover for my failings,_" the Great One said quietly. "_There's no choice... For the sake of the Demon Kingdom, the Demon Tribe, the entire world..._"

The darkness had deepened all around them, the sky completely swallowed by shadow, even the walls of the chamber no longer visible. The only light was the Great One's golden glow, flickering faintly. They were out of time.

Languidly, the Originator had begun to move toward them again. When the Great One looked up, his clear eyes meeting Yuri's with pained determination, it only regarded him mockingly, completely unafraid.

"Wait!" Adalbert tried to call out, but his voice was swallowed by the heavy, thick air.

"_I call you now, overcome all limitations to return to the Demon King's side and fulfill your vow,_" the Great One proclaimed, his voice quiet but strong, "_my faithful servant, Willem Dussollier Eli D'Morgif._"

Even the Originator recognized that name. It hissed, the memory of the burning sword cutting it apart strong within it. Cutting, burning, forcing it out - its entire being shuddered, one hand clawing at the black jacket over Yuri's chest.

A beam of golden light burst through the dark clouds, straight onto the Originator. Like a bolt from the blue, the Demon Sword descended in a flash and a peal of thunder.

~.~.~

The shockwave of Morgif's impact sent the Demon Tribesmen flying. The walls of the Great One's sanctuary trembled, already damaged by the seal's release.

Morgif had plunged deep into the ground, a crater and spiderweb of thick cracks spreading out from the point where its blade was half-sheathed in the stone. Its shape had changed from the plain sword Yuri and Conrart had recovered on Van Da Via, becoming a massive, jagged thing of black and gold.

The face, previously almost comical in appearance, had become a truly demonic visage. Its fanged maw opened to release a chilling, deep growl.

But... Yuri's form was crouched on the other side of the Demon Sword. His shoulders heaved, his jacket and shirt wrenched open, his hands pressed tightly to his chest - but unharmed.

"...Did it miss?" Adalbert wondered quietly, his shoulders slumping with unwilling relief.

"No, that can't be..." Murata muttered, staring in confusion at Morgif. "It changed course of its own will?"

"_...Are you saying that I no longer have the right to be called the Demon King?_" the Great One mused, a defeated acceptance creeping into his voice. "_That you won't turn on your true master? The true Demon King is..._"

Yuri straightened, tipping his head back and taking a deep, relieved breath. "Aah... I made it," he sighed.

His eyes opened, and his clear gaze focused on the Demon Sword and the people on the other side of it - Wolfram, Conrart and Gwendal, Murata, Ulrike and the Great One, and even Adalbert, all staring at him in shock and slowly dawning hope.

He smiled.

"Hey, guys. Sorry to make you wait," Yuri greeted them, his expression fond, determined. "You even got Morgif back here. Everything's ready, huh? Well, let's finish this."

His hands, clasped together as if in prayer, shook as dark energy began to leak from between his fingers. When he parted them, the pendant in his palms pulsed with dark power, its clear blue color now completely black. Already, small cracks were spreading along its surface.

"_That's... Earhart's..._" the Great One murmured. "_He... he really... until the end..._"

Yuri didn't wait for the Originator to understand what had happened or give it a chance to begin to break free.

Drawing his arm back, he threw the demon stone into the air. It shone like an inverse star, arching up and beginning its descent as Yuri's hands wrapped around the hilt of the Demon Sword. The Originator's power roared outward, waves of shadow ripping across the ruined chamber, but it was already too late.

"This is it!" Yuri yelled, Morgif light and almost familiar in his grasp as he hefted the sword up. "I'm keeping our promise! Disappear from this world, once and for all!"

The Demon Sword's blade howled as it swung through the air to meet the dark falling star of the possessed demon stone. The Originator's power parted against it, and the pendant was cut cleanly in two. In the next moment, it shattered into shining dust.

A wave of shadow was let loose, sweeping outward, across the chamber, through the abandoned Tomb and beyond.

But as it passed, the sky above cleared of dark clouds and the shadows that had slithered along the ground dissipated into nothing. It felt as if the entire world took a breath of relief.

~.~.~

Trembling, Yuri dropped to his knees. "We did it," he mumbled, not quite able to believe it himself. "Right? We did it?"

"You did it," Murata agreed, his voice distant and shocked. "It's really gone, I can feel it..."

Slowly, the Great One nodded. Stunned and uncertain, he titled his face up, toward the sunlight that had begun to shine through the broken ceiling. The beams of light passed through his translucent form, blurring his features. But Murata thought he saw something slide down his cheeks.

"Yuri! Yuri!" Wolfram burst out, scrambling to his feet and running to his friend's side. Crashing into the other boy, he wrapped his arms tightly around him. "Idiot! Stupid wimp! I thought... I thought you were...!"

Conrart followed after him, kneeling beside the pair with a soft, relieved smile. Reaching out, Wolfram pulled him down as well, into their embrace. His tearful laughter was joined by Yuri's voice.

"We did it! We really did it!"

Watching them, Gwendal didn't try to hide his own smile. "Unbelievable," he huffed, content to remain nearby as they rejoiced. Movement from the corner of his eyes - his left eye, now seeing again - drew his attention, and he saw Adalbert, silently backing away from the spectacle of joy.

Their eyes met, and for a moment Adalbert seemed caught between too many conflicting emotions. Finally, he smiled crookedly, without any real joy. But there was a particular kind of relief there.

It was over.

Murata moved to stand close to Yuri and the other two, just outside their small circle, but Ulrike had remained at the Great One's side. She thought he smiled down at her, his expression becoming harder to distinguish as the bright sunlight blended with his own golden glow.

"_Yuri,_" the Great One called out quietly. It was enough to make Yuri pulled away and look toward him. "_Thank you. You did it. You found a way that I could not even believe existed. You saved everyone... even me._"

Yuri shook his head. "All I did was swing the sword. Everything else - all the things we needed to make this work - was thanks to everyone! To all of you, and to them... the ones who entrusted their hopes to us."

Smiling faintly, the Great One nodded. "_Everyone had a part, didn't they? But you did more than you think. You never gave up. So I ask you this - what do you wish for?_"

Yuri stared at him in surprise. "Wish for?" he repeated.

"_Yes. What is your wish? I will make it a reality. My time in this world is almost up, but I still have enough power for that much. Please, allow me to repay you even in that small way,_" the Great One said. "_So what do you wish for, Yuri Shibuya?_"

Slowly, Yuri shook his head, his expression blank and uncertain. "There's nothing, really..." he said, his voice catching.

"_No? A place you want to go to? People you want to see?_" The Great One's gaze was gentle but piercing, and Yuri couldn't seem to find the words to reply. "_It's because of me that you were drawn into this world so soon and forced to part from your family. Do you want to see them again? I do not have the power to break the seal between our worlds, but I know how it was created. I can guide you through to the other side._"

"...But then... you're going to move on, aren't you?" Yuri stammered. "Then I'll be... stuck on the other side instead..." He shook his head. "I miss my family, but... Everyone here is my family too! I'm part of the Demon Tribe of this world! I can't... say goodbye to them like that... I..."

"Just go, you stupid wimp!" Wolfram burst out, shoving Yuri sharply. "This is your chance!"

"I can't just leave you!" Yuri repeated. "You guys are important to me too!"

"Then come back! You said you'd find a way, didn't you?" Wolfram snapped.

"But..."

"Come on, Shibuya," Murata said, finally approaching his friend. He smiled, meeting his eyes. "I'll help you. It'll be a cinch."

"Just go already," Gwendal grumbled. Still, he offered his king a small smile. "Grown up a little more, and come back. We'll handle things here."

"Yuri," Conrart said quietly, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Go. We Demon Tribesmen have long lives. We'll be waiting for you, here in the Demon Kingdom, no matter how long it takes."

Quietly, Yuri sniffled. Tears began to roll down his cheeks, and his shoulders shook.

"Guys," he murmured, smiling through his sobs. "Thank you. Thank you so much, for everything! I swear... I'll see you soon. We'll meet again! It's not goodbye. See you later!"

Moving to stand beside him, Murata slipped his hand into Yuri's just in case. The others moved back as the Great One approached. His arms rose, golden power pouring forth, stronger and stronger until it became blinding.

When the light faded away, all three of them were gone.

~.~.~

"Are you sure you have everything?" Miko Shibuya fussed over her youngest. "Enough socks? Enough underwear?"

"Mom," Yuri groaned. "Enough already! I'll be fine. I'm not a kid anymore, you know."

"Oh, I guess," Miko sighed. She smoothed his bangs out of his eyes and ran her hands along his shoulders - finally finally having to reach up. "You're all grown up now, aren't you? You looked so handsome at your high school graduation! Oh, Mama is so proud!"

"We're very proud, Yu-chan," Shouma agreed. "Be careful okay? And listen to Bob. He knows what he's talking about."

Yuri hummed in agreement. Reaching up, he pulled his parents into a warm embrace. "Just in case, I want you to know, I love you, Mom, Dad," he muttered, burying his face in their shoulders.

Miko smiled, rubbing his back gently. "We love you too, Yu-chan," she said quietly. "Be a good king."

Stepping back, Yuri swallowed heavily and nodded. Tears threatened to appear again, and he spun around quickly, hurrying out the door of his family's home.

"Ready?" Shori asked, waiting for him by the gate with Murata.

"Yeah," Yuri said, reaching up to quickly rub at his eyes.

"You know, there's no rush. You could go to college," Shori said, without much fire. "See the world a bit. Get a girlfriend."

"I'm sure you know all about that," Yuri deadpanned. He smiled reassuringly at his brother. "I'm happy with the way things are. I had lots of fun the last two years. I went plenty of places, joined all kinds of clubs, met all kinds of people..."

"I dunno, getting a girlfriend does sound nice. What do you think, Shibuya?" Murata muttered, sighing wistfully.

Yuri rolled his eyes. "Forget it. Come on, we've got a lot of work ahead of us. It's time to fulfill that promise. We're going to find a way back to the Demon Kingdom."

Shori sighed, but he smiled all the same. "Of course. After all, you're the 27th Demon King."

~.~.~

His reign had just begun.

~.~.~


End file.
